Missing Link Remastered
by BillAtWork
Summary: This is not new, just improved. It's the forth and final story in the Real Relationship rewrite.
1. No Right Decision

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _If you read the originals, there are some key differences._

 _Since day one, there has always been a fierce argument in the fandom about if Sarah ever slept with a mark on a mission. I find the argument a little silly. Sarah is a fictional character. She only exists to the extent that we've seen her on the screen. And since she never did on screen, that's left to each individual's imagination. I have no problem with a fanfic story that depicts Sarah either way. I think that's well within the poetic license one assumes when writing a story._

 _What I do have a problem with, is people getting angry and disrespectful in their insistence one way or the other. There's no way to know. Personally, I tend to look at the clues the show gave us and assume that she did use that weapon. In the original, she did. In the rewrite, she hasn't. She's danced very close to the edge. So even though the rewrite is tamer in that respect, the dancing close to the edge is more descriptive and perhaps harder to read for some._

 _One of the main themes of this arc (and most of my stories when it comes down to it) is the compromise between being a spy, and being a spouse. I think there is a reason why all of the spies are gorgeous. The female spies were trained to use that as a weapon. Of course, Sarah is now a wife. She never expected to be a wife. In fact it's the worst thing a spy could do. She doesn't exactly know what she's doing. So I like her conflict. She has a powerful weapon to keep her husband safe… yet using it hurts him._

 _Chuck's conflict is exactly the opposite. He only wants to be monogamous and live a normal life. But he also recognizes that they are in a desperate fight against evil, and sometimes they both will have to make a compromise to a normal marriage._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **No Right Decision**

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck struggled to wake up. At first the memories of last night seemed more like a really good dream. But as he gained more and more consciousness, the good memories came rushing back. All of the tensions and frustrations of the past few days instantly dissolved last night as he held his beautiful wife in his arms and they resumed their honeymoon. Without the pressure of knowing that they had a life or death mission that night, they could just relax and have fun… and boy did they have fun.

Chuck smiled to himself as he remembered the night and all of its highlights. Lately their sex life had been getting hotter and hotter. She was obviously working very hard to prove to him that… whatever hang-ups about sex she might have… they didn't apply to him. He found that he was getting more and more comfortable taking the lead… especially since that was Sarah's very favorite thing. It was almost too good to be true. The most beautiful woman in the world was thanking him for coming up with wild ways to make love. And the best part was that they could stay in bed all day. Chuck reached over to give Sarah a hug. The only problem is that he found an empty side of the bed. Quickly sitting up, he scanned the room. "Sarah," he called.

He didn't have long to wait. "I'm in here," Sarah's voice quickly came from the living room.

Chuck was relieved that she was there. But there was something about her voice that sounded off. And why was the door closed? So quickly, he got out of bed and went to find her sitting on the couch. One look confirmed his fears. She obviously had been crying. Sarah wasn't a crier. This couldn't be good. He went over and sat next to her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Sarah opened her mouth to answer Chuck but no words would come. Instead she buried her face in his shoulder.

This was quickly getting serious. "Sarah," Chuck said softly. "You're scaring me. What's wrong?"

After a long moment Sarah finally spoke without looking up. "Graham just called," she said. "He wants me to go on an assignment."

Chuck was surprised that it was Graham. Lately, it had been Beckman who communicated assignments with them. He was even more surprised that he only wanted Sarah. That was unusual. By her reaction, something serious was up. "I'm not going to like this," he said. "Am I?"

Sarah shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry," she said. "No, I'm afraid you're not."

"Why don't you just tell me?" Chuck asked.

Sarah nodded her head. "Okay," she said. "I'll tell you. But let's agree on something first. If you say no, then it's not happening. I already told Graham that. We'll have to deal with whatever happens."

Now Chuck was on edge. "Sarah," he said firmly. "Look at me and tell me."

Sarah gathered her composure as she sat up and looked at him. "Please let me finish before you say anything."

Chuck just nodded.

Sarah took a deep breath. "A few years ago," she said. "Bryce and I went undercover to Qatar to help protect the prince from a coup. In that part of the world, single women don't have much freedom, so we were posing as husband and wife. The prince really bonded with us. Now that prince is king. The administration wants him to come to Washington for a state visit to improve relations. They're looking to build a base there. But the only way that he will agree to come is if Bryce and I will be in charge of his security detail. Graham wants me to go undercover as Bryce's wife for a week."

"Are you finished?" Chuck asked.

Sarah nodded.

"Good," Chuck said. "Because there's no way in hell that's happening."

That actually got a sad smile. "I understand," Sarah said. "I thought that would be your reaction. Chuck, I'm fine with that. I really am. I'm not trying to talk you into this. I promise that I'm not. But before you say no, there are some other factors that I think you need to understand."

Chuck nodded for her to continue.

"First," Sarah said. "This is vitally important. The President himself told Graham to tell me that he would be grateful if I would do this. Qatar is a very strategic ally for the country. That's especially important given the current situation in the Middle East. The king is in a tough spot at home. The US isn't very popular there. If he allows the base, it will cause problems for him. But he has really taken a liking to Bryce and me. He trusts us. It would go a long way towards improved relations. Graham thinks that we're the best chance of getting him to consider this. That's very important to the country. Having a friendly base of operations there will literally save lives."

Chuck looked at her. "What aren't you telling me?" he asked. "Did Graham threaten you?"

In spite of the tense situation, Sarah had to smile at how well he knew her. "Not precisely," she said. "He knows me well enough to know that would be counterproductive. He was inferring a threat to you. He can make our life pretty uncomfortable if he wants. You can imagine that I didn't take that well. So he switched tactics. I think you understand my relationship with Graham. I owe him so much. It was hard to tell him no. He really laid it on thick. He asked me to do this as a personal favor to him. He said that the agency would spring for a lavish honeymoon in Hawaii. Two weeks of lying on the beach."

Chuck didn't really understand her relationship with Graham… not fully. All he knew was that he was something of a mentor… and Sarah felt like she owed him a lot. "Tell me about this king. He's taken a liking?" Chuck asked. "Or something else?"

A blush crept into Sarah's face. "I promise not to ever keep anything from you," she said. "I'll admit, he had a huge crush on me. Nothing has ever happened, he was pretty bashful about it, but it was obvious. He was only eighteen at the time. Bryce was always trying to get me to make him a man but I shut that down before the words were totally out of his mouth. Putting everything on the table… I liked him. We got along great. We still trade emails every once in a while. If it hadn't been a mission, I might have even considered sleeping with him. I can count the men on one hand that I could say that about. Graham wants me to use that."

Chuck suddenly found the situation funny. "So," he said. "Let me get this straight. They want me to agree to let my wife pose as the wife of her ex-lover to schmoose a foreign leader who has a 'crush' on her and who she's willing to sleep with. Have I left anything out? You wouldn't have to be part of his harem? No belly dancing or stripping or anything like that?"

The fact that he was teasing her was a very good sign. It got a smile. "No," Sarah said. "Nothing like that. I think that it's bad enough as it is. I'm not willing to sleep with him. Please don't words in my mouth. I didn't say anything like that. I told Graham to go to hell. I'm married… to my soul mate. I said that I liked him and there was a time in my life when, under different circumstances, I might have considered it. You know that I don't screw on missions… ever. There's a line I've never crossed. Now that I'm married, I'm doubled down on that. I'll be disappointed on several levels if you fear that… even a little bit. You know that I don't want to do this either. I'd miss you too much. But please, don't make it worse than it already is."

"I don't fear that," Chuck said firmly. "I do have a confession to make. I'm not worried about the king. I imagine he doesn't have to cruise bars trolling for chicks. He can find his own girl. I'm still jealous of you and Bryce. I know this is stupid. I'm embarrassed about it. I just can't help it. You've told him that you loved him. You've probably daydreamed about your wedding and family with him. You've made love with him… actually, way more times then you have with me now that I think about it. You know that I want to do the right thing. I just can't. Not with Bryce. It's just too real. So now you're asking me to go to sleep for a whole week knowing that you're in bed with him? I couldn't bear the thought of what could happen. I mean, you fell in love with him once, didn't you?"

Sarah sided into him affectionately. "First off, you shouldn't be embarrassed," she said softly. "I'm every bit as jealous of you and Jill… and it's every bit as stupid. But you just said some things that prove that you still don't understand Bryce and me… none of them really correct. Every time you say something like that I'm going to correct you. I didn't fall in love with Bryce once. You're wrong about that. I've never told Bryce that I loved him. His ego said it and I didn't correct him. That's different. I've never had a single thought about marrying Bryce or having a family with him. The very thought of Bryce as a husband makes me snicker. I've also never made love with him… not once… not even close. You're the only man I've ever been in love with… the first man I've ever made love with… the first man I've daydreamed about what our kids are going to look like. You're also going to be the last. Okay, if you're talking about missionary position sex, that's happened. If we talking about quantity, maybe Bryce even has a small lead. I haven't been counting. We were together for a while. But if he does have a lead, you're closing remarkably fast."

Chuck looked in Sarah's direction and nodded sadly.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully," Sarah said firmly. "I understand how you feel. I do. I know that if we were talking about you and Jill sharing a bed for a week, I would be a basket case. So, if you can't do this I'll understand. But if you think that for one second that Bryce, or some stupid prince, or anyone else, could steal me away from you, then you're just being plain silly. If it wasn't that you're hurting, I'd laugh at you. I mean, how could such a truly brilliant man be so stone cold stupid?"

Chuck just looked at Sarah to continue with his mouth hanging open.

"I've been looking for you my whole life," Sarah said in a much softer tone. "I was beginning to doubt that you even existed. And now that I've found you, I'm never letting you go. You're the love of my life. And nothing could ever change that. If I ever saw someone hurt you half as much as what you're describing, I would tear them apart with my bare hands. You have to know that."

Sarah could see the smile beginning to form

"And okay," Sarah continued. "Bryce's ego thinks that that I loved him. Even in his fantasy world, the word has a different meaning to him than it does to you. I was a conquest to him… one of many. It was just easier to allow him to think that than deal with his ego. He may even think that I still love him. If it wasn't true then, it sure as hell isn't true now. Chuck, you just can't compare how I feel about you to how I felt about Bryce. Those two things are not in the same universe. You came into my life at a point when I didn't believe in love. Not only did you prove to me that it existed, through your actions you showed me exactly what it looks like. I'm not the same person that I was. My life has changed so dramatically in the past month that Bryce wouldn't recognize me. I love you so much that it scares me. I snicker a little because you think that you get that… but you really don't. And it honestly bothers me a little to think that you don't trust me enough not to destroy you by running off with someone else. I just couldn't do that. It's not in the realm of possibilities."

"I'm really being stupid," Chuck said with a small smile. "Huh?"

Sarah's smile was growing. "Stunningly stupid," she said. "Mind numbingly stupid." She picked up her phone. "I'll call him and tell him no," she said. "Nobody could expect what he's asking. He'll have to figure something else out."

Chuck grabbed her wrist. "I'm very sorry if I'm disappointing you," he said. "I never want to do that. Please don't take it that way. I totally trust you. Everything you said is exactly right. This is something that I have to get over. It's probably a good thing this is happening."

Sarah shook her head. "I don't expect you to do this," she said. "I couldn't do it."

"You're misunderstanding what I'm saying," Chuck said. "I'm not saying that I'll suffer through it. I need your help. Go, and when you come back, I'll never have to worry about Bryce again. I'll have slayed one of my demons."

"Chuck," Sarah said slowly. "You're an amazing person. I'll be counting the minutes. This will be just as hard on me. Don't worry about Bryce. If we fought, we both know who would easily win. I think that he knows that if he touches me at all inappropriately, he'll earn a trip in an ambulance. I'll make sure that he's reminded the very second I see him."

"I thought that Bryce was deep undercover," Chuck sighed. "Isn't it a risk that he could be exposed to Fulcrum?"

"Yes," Sarah said. "That's how important that they must think that this visit is. With our recent success with Fulcrum, they must think that they are lying low right now."

"So when do you have to leave?" Chuck asked sadly.

"I have to take the red eye tonight," Sarah said. "I have to be in Washington in the morning."

Both were blinking tears from their eyes as they embraced. "I'm really going to miss you," Chuck said.

"I'm pretty sure that I'll miss you more," Sarah said. "I can't tell you how proud that I am of you right now."

"Thanks," said Chuck with a slight smile. "I just wish that I felt better about it." He grabbed at Sarah's flimsy negligee. "I trust that you are going to take something more modest to sleep in?"

And there it was. It was a truly awful moment. Yet he could still make her laugh. "You've got it," she replied through her giggles. "I'll pack my granny stuff."

"Not that it will help," Chuck teased. "You'd be sexy in a suit of armor."

"Trust me," Sarah said with a smile. "By the time I'm done with Bryce, the last thing he'll be thinking about is anything sexy. He'll be trying to stay as far out of my way as he possibly can."

"Great. Now that we have that settled, Bryce is ahead of me in a position. I can't live with that. I have some serious catching up to do," Chuck said. Like a lot of their kissing, it started off slowly. But quickly it was white hot.

When Sarah felt him lifting her negligee, she just lifted her arms to allow him to quickly throw it to the floor.

"Absolutely."

x-x-x-x-x

Casey and Carina picked up Chuck and Sarah to drive them to the airport. During the ride, Chuck and Sarah snuggled wordlessly in the back seat. Casey pulled up to the departing flight section of LAX and stopped the car. Chuck got out with Sarah to say their last goodbyes. He retrieved Sarah's suitcase and handed it to a skycap. Chuck held Sarah's carryon bag as he turned to embrace her.

"Do you think you can call?" Chuck asked.

"Probably not," said Sarah sadly. "It's never a good idea on a mission. If I can, I will."

"There won't be a minute," Chuck said. "That I won't be thinking about you."

"Me too," Sarah said. "I know that a week sounds like a long time but it'll be over soon."

"I really love you," Chuck said sadly.

"I know," Sarah said. "It's the only reason that I can do this. Me too."

Chuck cupped Sarah's face in his hands and kissed her very tenderly. As soon as the kiss broke, he handed her the carryon bag and she walked into the terminal. Chuck just stood and watched long after she had disappeared from view.

As Casey and Carina watched Chuck from the car, Carina turned to Casey. "You know," she said. "He is really going to be down. If you take any pleasure in that, it's the only pleasure you'll be getting for a long time. Do I make myself clear?"

Casey could tell that she wasn't really teasing. "Crystal clear," was his stoic reply.

Chuck finally turned and opened the car door. As soon as he was in the car, he let out a big sigh.

"She's gone."

x-x-x-x-x


	2. Carina's First

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Carina's First**

x-x-x-x-x

Carina was glaring in the back seat. "Come on Chuck," she said in an exasperated tone. "You gotta eat."

Chuck was tired and depressed. Sure, he appreciated what she was trying to do… just not now. "I'm not hungry," he protested. "I just want to go home."

Carina wasn't about to take no for an answer. The very last thing that Sarah said to her was to take care of him. "You want to go home?" she repeated. "Tell me how sitting in an empty apartment, feeling sorry for yourself, is going to make you feel better? Casey and I are taking you out for dinner and I don't want to hear another peep. Understand?"

Chuck was too tired to fight about it. It was the first time he had seen her like this. In spite of everything, he was forced to smile. "Yes, mom," he said. "I understand. Do I have to finish all of my vegetables?"

Carina nodded to Casey. "Only if you want dessert," she replied.

For a long moment, Casey was busy trying to get them out of the airport. Rush hour traffic at LAX was something you had to see to believe. "Where do you want to go?" he asked.

Carina thought about it for a second. It wasn't a time to skimp. "We're not far away from the Casa Del Mar hotel," she replied. "Their restaurant is excellent."

Chuck had never been there. It was far too upscale for a Buy More worker. Once they were inside the restaurant, he couldn't help but be impressed. The hotel was directly on the beach. The wall of the restaurant that faced the ocean was glass. The view of the sun just starting to set into the water was breath taking.

Carina, who was obviously taking her role as mom for the night seriously, ordered a bottle of wine and some stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer. While they were waiting she turned to Chuck. "Isn't this better than sitting at home alone?" she asked.

Chuck pondered the question. On one level this was worse. In such a romantic place, Sarah should have been sitting next to him. But why make mom feel bad? "I guess," he said grudgingly. "I have to admit. The view is spectacular."

Carina put on the soft smile. "I know that you miss her," she said. "But you don't have anything to worry about. You think that you get her. And in some ways you do. But you don't get this. As much as you think that you love her, she loves you twice as much."

It was exactly what Sarah was always saying. Chuck had to admit… at least this was a conversation he was interested in. "How do you know?" he asked.

Carina grinned. "She told me," she said. "Before I came out here, she was on the phone every night telling me, in excruciating detail, just how great you are. It's like she was a different person. And in a very real way, she was. The Sarah I've known for ten years would have never talked like that about a man. That's why I had to find an excuse to get out here and see for myself. I wouldn't have believed the change in her. Since Vegas, it's gotten even worse. Her feet haven't touched the ground in ten days. I'm happy for you. But I'm even happier for her. I'm so jealous, I could spit."

That was the last thing that Chuck expected her to say. "Jealous?" he asked. "Why are you jealous?"

Casey had been sitting there watching the sun set. "Yeah," he piped in. "Good question."

Carina punched Casey playfully in the arm just as the waiter brought their wine. "I'm not jealous," she said. "Not in that way. Not really. It was a bad choice of words. I'm very content with my life. I'm excited about where it's going. It's just that Sarah is floating on a cloud right now. Every woman wants that feeling at some level. She's very lucky. And trust me… she knows that better than anyone. She's fanatically protective of it. Anyone or anything who would pose a threat to it is going to see the wrath of hell rained down on them like only Agent Walker can. I'm almost feeling sorry for Bryce right now."

Talk about something that Chuck needed to hear. It made some of the ache in his chest go away. "Thanks, Carina," he said with a smile. "That's good to know."

As Casey reached over to pour the wine, Chuck's eyes locked on a tall man across the room. That's when the flash hit. Casey recognized the flash right away. As soon as it was over, he turned to Carina. "You wanted to see a flash," he said. "There was one."

Carina was beyond excited. "No shit?" she asked. "What did you flash on? Does it hurt?"

Chuck was still shaking his head to clear the lingering effects. "Scott Wilson," he said. "He is suspected of being the head of a splinter group with ties to the terrorist group Hamas. He is a huge fund raiser. He has some legitimate charity work but a lot of what he collects is diverted to Hamas. And yes, it does hurt a little, thank you for asking."

Casey couldn't hide the fact that he was excited. "You two keep an eye on our new friend," he said. "I'll go out to the car and see what Washington wants us to do."

Chuck snacked on one of the stuffed mushrooms. After a few minutes Casey returned. "They want us to find out if he's staying at the hotel," he said. "Then it's back to my place for a briefing."

"But we haven't ordered dinner yet," Chuck protested with a sigh."

Carina smiled. "Make up your mind," she said. "An hour ago you were complaining that you weren't hungry."

"Well now I am," Chuck replied. "I just had an appetizer. Now I'm appetized."

That got them laughing. "Don't worry," Casey said. "We'll stop by the Taco Bell drive through window on the way home."

Chuck shook his head. "The one on the beach with the terrific view?" he asked in a sarcastic voice.

"Yup," was Casey's simple reply.

Carina stopped their banter with a look. "Casey, you take Chuck out to the car," she said. "I'll find out where our buddy is staying."

"How are you going to do that?" Chuck asked.

Casey and Carina both turned to look at Chuck like he was an idiot.

Chuck's face turned plenty red. "Oh yeah," he muttered. "I forgot. The slut technique."

Carina grinned. "Casey," she said. "Remember what I said earlier about you not taking any pleasure in Chuck's situation?"

Casey nodded.

"Well, Major. You can consider that order rescinded."

That got Casey grinning. "Yes, ma'am," he said. "Thank you, ma'am."

Casey and Chuck were only in the car for a few minutes when Carina joined them. "He's staying at the hotel," she said flatly. "He's been here for three days and has no plans to check out anytime soon."

"How did you find out?" Chuck asked.

Carina just shook her head. "Don't ask questions," she said with a grin.

"When you don't want to know the answer."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah's flight arrived at Dulles airport just a little before two in the morning, Eastern Time. There was a limo driver holding a sign that said Mrs. Larkin at the baggage claim. Sarah snickered at the idea that there would ever be a Mrs. Larkin. It sure as hell wasn't going to be her. Hopefully someday Chuck would be able to see the humor in this situation. Until then, it was probably a detail she should avoid when telling him about her week. She wondered what Chuck was doing. She hoped that Casey and Carina had taken care of him. The last thing that he needed was to sit in an empty apartment. The urge to call him overwhelmed her. The agent in her knew that was a bad idea. But she needed to hear his voice so badly. For now the agent won out.

On the ride to the hotel, she examined the packet that was waiting for her. It was the standard stuff. A new driver's license, passport, and credit cards proved to the world that she was, indeed, Sarah Larkin. It was the typical CIA overkill. The king was unlikely to ask to see her driver's license. At the bottom of the manila envelope was a wedding ring. Whoever had supplied the packet must not have known. Sarah looked at the ring and then at the very similar ring that was on her finger. Even though they looked almost exactly the same, even though they had both been supplied by the CIA, one was a meaningless prop that meant absolutely nothing to her and one meant everything. She had to spend a long moment blinking the tears from her eyes. The urge to call Chuck again overwhelmed her. Again, the agent won out.

In the elevator on the way up to her room, she silently hoped that Bryce was not already there. That would give her a chance to get ready for bed before having to face him. Maybe she could pretend to be asleep and avoid talking to him at all tonight. Her heart sank when she opened the door to the room and saw Bryce's form already in the bed. "Hi," he said sleepily. "How was your flight?"

Okay, so this was an assignment. They were married. In public, she'd have to be the professional. But there was no reason to pretend to be nice to him when they were alone. "Fine," she said tersely as she threw her bags on the coffee table. Hopefully, he'd get the hint that she wasn't up for any small talk.

"Is there something wrong?" Bryce asked softly.

There was one thing about Bryce. The boy didn't discourage easily. "No," Sarah snapped. "Why would you think that?"

Bryce sat up in the bed. He knew her moods well. "Come on, Sarah," he said. "Something is wrong. Talk to me."

If Sarah was pissed before, his lame attempt to charm her threw gas on the fire. "You want to know what's wrong?" she asked with zero humor. "Okay. I'll tell you. I hate this fucking assignment. And right now, I'm pretty sure that I hate you."

Bryce wasn't surprised at all. It was like old times. It got him grinning. "Well that's honest, at least," he said. "Care to tell me why?"

Sarah still wasn't interested in small talk. But she also wanted to get this off her chest. So she made sure that her voice was still filled with hostility. "Fine," she snapped. "Right now the love of my life is lying alone in our bed while knowing that his wife of ten days is in bed with her ex-lover. And he agreed to let that happen because he knew that it was the right thing to do. Even though it's killing him, he still did it. That's just the kind of man he is. So right now, instead of me lying in bed next to this amazing man, I'm stuck here with you, Mr. Somewhat-less-than-amazing. If you're expecting a good mood from me this week, you can forget it. Be professional, stay out of my way whenever possible, and maybe you won't get hurt."

Bryce was used to Sarah's wrath. She would usually calm down after a while. But this one was more hostile than usual.

"And another thing," Sarah said as she continued her rant. "When I get back home, Chuck is going to ask me about every detail of this assignment. I would never lie to him. So if you give me any reason to cause him further pain, I'll hurt you. I'll blow your cover and be on the next plane to L.A. faster than you can lie to someone. And we both know how fast that is. Do we understand each other?"

Bryce looked at her. When they were together, Sarah being pissed was usually eventually a good thing. It led to their hottest sex… probably not this time. Charming his way back into those dainty panties would take a little more time than he hoped. "Damn," he sighed. "What's not to understand? This isn't like you. Be honest with me. You really love him that much?"

"Absolutely," Sarah said as she willed the calm into her voice. "I do. I can't even describe it to you. It scares me. I'm not even sure that I can be an effective agent without him. It hurts me."

Bryce was smart enough to understand when to retreat. "Then I'm happy for you," he said. "I know that you probably don't believe that. But I am. He's a great guy. That's what you've always wanted. Isn't it?"

Sarah really didn't know what he was after… but she trusted him about as far as he could throw him. She nodded cautiously.

"I love him too you know?" Bryce asked with a smile. "Maybe not quite as intensely as you do. Okay, not nearly as intensely as you. But I do love him. Would you tell him that for me?"

It was the right thing to say. Then again, Bryce was always quick with the right thing to say. Sarah was still on guard. "I'll tell him," she said. "He'll like that. But why don't you tell him yourself?"

Bryce laughed. "Come on, Sarah," he said. "You know that I don't tell anyone that I love them unless I'm trying to get them into bed. I don't think that you or Chuck would appreciate that."

Sarah was still on guard. He was plainly pulling out all the stops to charm her. But that struck her as funny. "You're right," she said with her first smile. "I forgot."

"Why don't you call him?" Bryce suggested. It's only midnight there."

Sarah shook her head. "Bryce," she said softly. "We're on a mission. It's not done."

Bryce wouldn't let it drop. "Come on, Sarah," he insisted. "This isn't a real mission. It's a P.R. thing. Go on. Call him. You'll feel better. He'll feel better. Any maybe if I accidentally brush up against you in the car, you won't put a knife in my side. Or more importantly, if the King brushes up against you. I'm thinking that would be very bad for our international relations."

Yeah, Bryce was just trying to get her in a better mood. She could see the pretty boy charming act coming from a mile away. Then again, there was some truth in his words. Sarah grabbed her cell phone, walked into the bathroom, and closed the door. Her fingers were shaking as she hit Chuck's number.

He answered on the second ring. He was plainly surprised. "Hi," he said. "I wasn't expecting you to call tonight. Is anything wrong?"

"Hi, yourself. I wasn't expecting to call tonight either. I just wanted to hear your voice. I didn't wake you did I?"

"Don't be silly. I'm just lying here staring at the ceiling. We have to paint."

"Chuck, it's an apartment. Nobody paints an apartment silly. Let's wait until we buy a house. Then we'll paint."

"How was your flight?"

"It was good. I hate the red eye. But at least it was on time."

"Is Bryce there? Is he behaving?"

"Yes. So far he is. I was pretty rough on him. He's the one who told me to call. I think that he's hoping that you'll cheer me up."

"I flashed tonight. Carina and I are going undercover tomorrow as a couple to get some Intel."

"Really? You and Carina? That's an odd couple."

"Very odd. Kind of scary. If you were here, I'm sure it would have been you and me."

"I'm sorry I'm not there. That sounds like fun."

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault that I can't go two days without flashing on some lowlife."

"Be careful. Okay? Promise me that you'll do what Casey and Carina tell you?"

"Okay. But I miss the good old days when I just stayed in the car."

"But Chuck. You never stayed in the car."

"I would now."

"I know. I'm sorry but I have to go. I need to get some sleep before tomorrow. But I just had to hear your voice."

"I'm so glad that you called. Can you call again tomorrow?"

"I'll try. Okay?"

"Try hard."

"I will. I really love you."

"I know. I really love you too. Don't worry about me. Casey and Carina are taking good care of me."

"That's good to know. Hopefully, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Sarah."

"Goodnight, Chuck."

Sarah held the phone to her chest for several minutes after the call ended. The very last thing that she would ever do is to cry in front of Bryce. It was a vulnerable side of her that he had never seen… and never would. So she sat on the edge of the bathtub while she let the tears stream down her cheeks.

"I really miss you."

x-x-x-x-x


	3. Horse of a Different Cover

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Horse of a Different Cover**

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah was wakened from her fitful sleep by the telephone announcing their eight o'clock wake up call. As tired as Sarah was, she was grateful to be out of the bed. Not that she expected Bryce to try anything. Hopefully taking out her knife and conspicuously placing it on the nightstand within easy reach had made it clear what would happen in that event.

She had just grown so used to sleeping cuddled next to Chuck that she was afraid that she would do it subconsciously with Bryce. That would be disastrous. So to make sure that it didn't happen, she slept on the very edge of the bed… to the point of almost falling out on to the floor. She wrapped her hands in the sheets so she couldn't move. If Bryce noticed… and how could he not, he didn't say anything. Her conservative sleepwear didn't seem so conservative at the moment. She had forgotten how short that nightgown really was. And it had ridden up to Sarah's mid-thigh during the night. She quickly pulled it back into place as she stood up.

"Do you want the bathroom first?" Bryce asked her as he sat up in bed. He was wearing sweat pants but no shirt. If he was thinking anything about last night it wasn't evident in his face or voice.

Sarah didn't want to risk peaking to see if he was packing anything inside those sweat pants. If he noticed her looking, that would just lead him to the absolute wrong conclusion. It really didn't matter anyway. Whatever he was packing had better stay packed. "Yes," she said without looking at him. She quickly grabbed the clothes that she had laid out last night and walked into the privacy of the bathroom. She took a much longer time in the shower than normal, hoping that Bryce would have to get ready quickly and she would be spared having to talk to him. Finally, she could stall no longer. She opened the door and walked into the room. Bryce wordlessly took his turn in the shower.

Sarah listened to him taking his quick shower. Hopefully she could avoid him like this for the entire week.

x-x-x-x-x

Casey and Carina were in the car on their way to pick up Chuck for today's mission. "This is the first time that I've gone under cover with Chuck," Carina said. "I hope that doesn't bother you."

Casey glanced at her. "Why would it bother me?" he asked. "You're doing your job."

Carina's smile didn't fade. "I know," she said. "But sometimes it's a little more real when it's someone you know. Chuck and I do have a little history together. I hope that he can deal with that. I mean, he's already messed up by Sarah being off with Bryce."

"I'm not the jealous type," Casey said with a smile. "You should know that by now. Do you want me to be jealous? Is that what you're saying?"

Carina shook her head. "Don't be silly," she said with a sideways glance. "I just want to get everything out in the open."

Casey's smile turned into a broad grin. "If you going to worry about anyone being jealous," he said. "It should be Walker. She wouldn't see any humor in this. I'm not jealous. But I hope that you don't mind me having some fun with Bartowski about it."

Carina thought about it for a moment. "I don't know," she finally said hesitantly. "I'm not sure that is such a good idea. He's already pretty messed up."

That got Casey laughing. "Oh come on," he pleaded. "Just a little? I helped you mess with Sarah in Vegas. I think that you owe me a little fun, don't you?"

So that got Carina laughing with him. "If I remember Vegas correctly," she said. "You were paid in full. But I guess a little fun would be okay. Just don't overdo it. We are on a mission after all. We need Chuck at least a little functional. And Sarah definitely won't see the humor of someone messing with Chuck when she's not around."

"Yes ma'am," said Casey with his broadest grin. "Thank you, ma'am."

As Chuck got into the back seat, Carina turned to him. "How did you sleep?" she asked. "Are you feeling better?"

Chuck was surprisingly upbeat. "I slept well," he said with a smile. "Sarah called last night. So that helped a lot."

At first, Casey wasn't sure that he heard him correctly. "Walker called?" he asked incredulously. "Walker made a personal call on a cell phone while on an undercover mission? The Walker I know? Sarah Walker?"

"Sarah Bartowski," Chuck corrected. "But yes. She said that Bryce told her to call."

That got Carina giggling. "She must have really let him have it," she said. "She told me that she was going to. I would have given up a kidney to be a fly on that wall. Do you think that she taped it, by any chance?"

"I don't know," said Chuck hesitantly. "She didn't say anything to me about it. But you never know with you spy types."

Carina stopped giggling. "Speaking of spy types," she said. "I want to talk to you about tonight's mission. This will be the first time you've been under cover as a couple with anyone but Sarah. I want to make sure that you know that there are differences between how Sarah and I… and most spies… work."

Chuck considered that for a moment. It seemed reasonable. Of course he didn't know that it was all crap to help Casey. "Okay," he said.

Carina looked at him for a long moment. "An undercover couple has to sell it," she started. "Sarah can turn that on and off. Most spies can't. I can't. When I'm in character, I have to stay in character. It's why so many undercover couples have real flings. It's just easier to stay in character. That means that I might do things like hold your hand or kiss you even when we're alone. Stuff like that."

"Wait a minute," Casey growled. "You're going to hold his hand? Nobody said anything about kissing."

Carina ignored Casey and fought back the giggle. "I know that you and Sarah would drop the cover once you were alone," she said. "I mean, before you were um… um… before you were…"

"Before you were banging her four times a night," Casey interrupted with a growl. "Is that what you meant to say?"

"Yes, Casey," Carina said sarcastically. "Thank you. Oh, before I forget, I lent all of my conservative sleeping clothes to Sarah so she could hide her goodies from Bryce. So tonight, I'll be wearing something a little more revealing. I just want you to be prepared."

"Oh hell no," Casey protested a growl. "Not the yellow one? Tell me you're not going to wear the yellow one. That thing is invisible when the light is behind you."

Carina shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry big guy," she said. "It's all I have. It's either the yellow one… or nothing."

Chuck was looking back and forth between them as they bickered. "Good lord," he said with a cough. "Please pick the yellow one. Sarah is hoping to call me tonight. Please tell me that I can take her call. I couldn't stand it if I don't get to talk to her."

Carina shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "We are on a mission you know? Sarah might have hit her head and forgot what being professional is. That doesn't mean I can."

Casey stepped in as they pulled into the parking lot. "It might be okay," he said. "As long as you are in the room alone. At least it will get you out of her bed for a few minutes. Maybe you should tell Sarah what you're doing and what Carina is wearing. That might be good for her to hear."

Chuck pretended to consider that for a moment. "Yeah," he said. "Thanks for the advice, big guy. But I don't think so. Besides, I'm sure that you're going to fully brief her when she gets back."

Casey looked Chuck directly in the eye. "You know it," he said with a growl. "I'm even going to let her listen to the tape. Can you wait inside for a minute? I'd like a minute alone with Carina before she has to be your girlfriend for the night."

"Sure big guy," Chuck said nervously. "Take all the time that you need. I'll be just inside."

As soon as Chuck was inside the hotel, Casey and Carina burst into laughter. "Aw thank you," Casey said through his laughter as he kissed Carina's forehead. "I knew there was a reason that I love you."

"You're welcome," Carina said, struggling to get the words out. "If you think that he's uptight now, wait until tonight."

"I'm pretty sure that I can have him wetting his pants."

x-x-x-x-x

After a complete check of their credentials Bryce and Sarah were let into the main reception area where breakfast was being served. They immediately went to great the king.

Bryce stepped up to him and shook his hand. "Your majesty," he said formally as he kissed the king's cheek. "Welcome to America. It's such an honor for you to come."

"Thank you, Bryce," the king replied. "How nice to see you again."

As soon as Bryce moved out of the way, Sarah stepped up. For the first time in a day, her smile was genuine. "Your majesty," she said as she kissed both cheeks. "I'm so happy to see you again."

The king held both of her hands… probably for a beat longer than appropriate in such a formal setting. "Sarah," he said. "You don't know how happy I am to see you. I have really missed you. Please tell me that you'll do me the honor of dancing with me at the ball tonight?"

Sarah took a quick glance around the room. The royal staff that had been with the king since he was a boy assuredly already knew the undercurrent of what was happening. The CIA surely had been briefed. It was the State Department staff that would start whispering speculation as soon as they were alone. Let them look. Sarah couldn't stand them anyway. She made no effort to reclaim her hands and flashed him her warmest smile. "Your majesty," she said. "I'd be disappointed if you don't ask. The honor would be all mine. As long as it wouldn't cause a scandal, perhaps we could dance more than once."

The king's grin was plainly obvious. It was the perfect thing to say. "Who cares about scandal?" he asked with a smile. "I would like that very much. After all, I am now the king."

Breakfast was being served. As Sarah and Bryce took their seats, Sarah turned to him. "What's this about a ball?" she asked. You had to know her pretty well to see through the smile and tell that she was pissed.

Bryce sighed. He had just messed up… and was about to have his ass handed to him. "Oh yeah," he said. "I forgot. We have to attend a State Ball tonight in the king's honor."

Sarah was still smiling. She kept her voice low so only Bryce could hear. But she made no effort to keep the anger from being plain. "Okay, Bryce," she said. "You know how much it pisses me off when you don't tell me things. Is there anything else that you've forgotten to tell me?"

Bryce was sheepish. If his plan was to get inside of her panties this week, this wasn't the way. "I just forgot," he said. "We didn't have a lot of time for small talk. I wasn't trying to hold out on you. I'm sorry."

Sarah turned her attention to the plate that had just been placed before her. There was one good thing about being undercover with a king. You ate well. Someone, maybe the king himself, had been briefed about her favorites. The eggs benedict looked scrumptious. Hopefully she could look forward to lobster tonight.

Bryce looked at her attacking the food. It was time to change the subject and get this back on track. "He still likes you," he said. "You should really think about seducing him. I wouldn't mind. It would be good for the mission."

Sarah didn't look up from her food. She could see Bryce's act coming from a mile away. He wasn't really suggesting that she sleep with him. He had been shut down on that one too many times to count. He was just trying to get back to their normal banter. "Bryce," she said. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm married… to someone who would actually care if I slept with someone else."

"At least you've gotten over your hang up about sex on an assignment," Bryce said. "Thank you for that, Chuck. I don't get it. I mean, he does know what you do, doesn't he? You sleep with him a few times this week and the country gets a new desperately needed base. That works for me. Why would he care? It wouldn't bother me."

Sarah bristled at the suggestion that Chuck was still an assignment. Okay, maybe he was technically correct. She did have sex with her asset while on an active assignment… amazingly hot sex. But now they were married. Bryce clearly didn't understand that. "Yeah, I know," she said sarcastically. 'It so wouldn't bother you that you would dim the lights for us. You'd probably find a way to slip me the condom. Chuck is different. He cares. And I'm not going to even think about betraying him."

Bryce shook his head. "Sorry," he said. "I'm not buying it. Why were you just flirting with the king? Everyone in the room could see you holding his hand. What was with that 'maybe we could dance more than once' stuff?"

Sarah's fake smile turned into a real grin. "Chuck knows that we're friends," she protested. "He's fine with me being friendly with him. That wasn't anything calculated to get a base… I honestly like him. Besides…"

"I'd much rather dance with him than with you."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Carina were going to dinner at the hotel after checking in. In the elevator, Carina turned to Chuck. "Okay," she said. "We're officially a newlywed couple starting right now. And you better get used to this." She grabbed Chuck and kissed him hard with an open mouth.

Chuck really didn't know what to do. He didn't resist, but he also didn't participate. Fortunately, she didn't let it last very long. "Carina," he said with an embarrassed whisper. "Was that really necessary?"

Carina had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Messing with Chuck like this was good for Casey. Hopefully she could explain it to Sarah in a way that would allow her to see the humor. "Get over it," she said. "We're newlyweds. Are you telling me that Sarah wouldn't kiss you like that?"

Well, she had a point. Sarah had turned into something approaching a maniac. She would never allow an opportunity like a closed elevator pass by without some serious tonsil hockey. So he smiled. "I guess that it's show time," he said. "Huh?"

Carina looked at him in confusion. "Show time?" she asked. "What in the hell does that mean?"

"Man," said Chuck in exasperation. "I thought that you'd know. It's what Sarah always says."

This time Carina couldn't keep in the laugh. "I'm just teasing you," she said. "Yes, Chuck. It's definitely show time."

As they were just getting served their entrée, Scott Wilson entered the restaurant and was seated at a table across the room. With him were another man and two women. The women were obviously dates.

Chuck's face showed his shock as he looked at the couples. Carina mistook the expression on Chuck's face. "Did you just flash?" she asked in a hushed whisper.

Chuck shook his head. "No," he said in the same tone. "I didn't need to. See the dark haired girl with Wilson? That's Angel from the club."

That was the worst thing that could have happened. "Shit," Carina said under her breath. "Has she seen you?"

Chuck shook his head. Her back was to him. "I don't think so," he said.

Carina knew that the next few seconds would determine if this assignment would continue. "Calmly follow me" she said. She grabbed Chuck's hand and led him into the kitchen.

As soon as they entered the kitchen their waiter approached them. "Is there a problem with your meal?" he asked.

Carina flashed him her most seductive smile. "Not at all," she replied. "We have somewhat of a delicate situation here. An ex-boyfriend of mine just showed up. I really don't want him to see me. That would cause a huge scene. Any help you can give us getting out of here discreetly would be most appreciated."

The waiter grinned. "Not at all," he replied. "Don't worry. This happens all of the time. If you go out that door and down the hall, you'll be in the hotel lobby."

Carina pressed two, one hundred dollar bills into his hand. "Thank you so much," she said.

"You're very welcome," replied the waiter as they were walking away. "I hope that you enjoyed your meal."

The truth was they had barely touched it. "Very much," she said over her shoulder.

They weren't back in the room for very long before Casey knocked at the door. "Here's the deal," he said. "We got Angel's name from the arrest records when we raided the party. She also works part time for an escort service called Ladies on Your Arm. It's obviously also a front for prostitution. She has been booked for Wilson all this week."

They were silent for a long time. They really needed some Intel if they had any hope of continuing. "I've got an idea," Carina finally said. "How about tomorrow night, I take Angel's place?"

Chuck thought through this development. Going undercover as a hooker had serious risks. But it wasn't his place to protest.

"That would work," Casey said. "But what do we do with Angel?"

Carina got that gleam in her eyes that Sarah always warned him about. "Charles Carmichael can keep her occupied," she said.

It was the very last thing Chuck expected her to say. "What?" he asked.

Carina knew that she had to calm him down. "Chuck," she said as soothingly as she could. "Angel knows you. You left her on good terms. She was waiting in bed for you. She thinks that you're rich. All you would have to do is intercept her at the door tomorrow and tell her that you've tracked her down and gotten her reassigned to you for the evening."

Chuck shook his head. "But what will I do with her?" he asked. "You know what she'll be expecting?"

Casey was grinning from ear to ear. "That's up to you, tiger," he said. "I'm sure you can think of something."

"Crap."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah and Bryce were sitting at their assigned table at the ball. Sarah was simply glowing in her blue backless gown. And of course Bryce filled out a tux very well. They looked very much the perfect couple, even in a room full of perfect couples.

Sarah noticed Bryce checking out the room. "You know," she said. "I wouldn't object at all if you picked up someone here and spent the night at her place. Not at all."

Bryce grinned at her. The lady doth protest too much. At least Chuck had gotten her a lot more casual about sex. When they were together, spending a night with someone else would have her screaming at him for being unprofessional. Using procedure to mask her jealousy was a Sarah Walker staple. "Thanks," he said. "I'll keep that in mind. That would give you time to visit the king's bedroom. It's a win-win."

Sarah had perfected the art of smiling and selling that she was having a good time while yelling at him. "How many times do I have to say this?" she asked coolly. "The only sex I'm ever going to have is with Chuck. Forever. Got it?"

Just then the king approached. "Sarah," he said. "Would now be a good time to have that first dance?"

At this point, anything that got her out of that seat next to Bryce was a good thing. But this wasn't going to be a chore. Her dazzling smile was genuine. "Of course, your majesty," she said. "I'd be so honored."

The king turned to Bryce. "With your permission," he said.

That was formality. Bryce knew that he really wasn't asking for permission. He couldn't object even if he wanted too. "Don't be silly, your majesty," he replied.

Sarah took his offered hand as the king led her to the dance floor. "You know," he said as they began to dance. "I've really looked forward to seeing you again. You're one of the main reasons that I agreed to come on this visit."

Of course, Sarah already knew that. The other couples on the dance floor were giving them plenty of room. "Thank you, your majesty," she said with a smile. "That's so nice of you to say. I've missed the time that we spent together as well. I'm eager to help our two countries become closer allies."

"You don't know how big of a crush I had on you," he said.

Sarah's smile turned coy. "Of course I know," she said. "A woman always knows these things. I'm very flattered. Even though I was working, I enjoyed spending time with you."

"Then you'll understand," said the king. "Now that I'm king, I'm bolder in asking for what I want. Would you do me the honor of coming to my room tonight?"

There it was. Normally, a man asking her so plainly to cheat on her husband would have Sarah seeing red. Certainly it wasn't going to happen. But how to avoid it without causing an international incident? If he wanted to, he could put a ton of pressure on her. To the CIA, trading one agent's virtue for a week in exchange for a coveted base wasn't a close call. And while it was never going to happen, that could get very tense. They could make their lives miserable if they wanted, had already implied threatening Chuck. That would be a messy show stopper. "Your majesty," she said. "Please don't be offended. I'm so flattered. I value our honest friendship. And under other circumstances I would like that very much. It might have even been me asking you. But I'm afraid that I can't. You see, I'm very much in love with my husband. I've taken an oath to him. I just couldn't betray him. Please don't be angry at me."

The king considered that for a long moment. "This husband that you talk about," he finally replied. "He's not Bryce, is he?"

Sarah was stunned. "Why would you say that?" she asked in surprise.

The king smiled at her. "Come now, my friend," he replied softly. "Do you think that I don't know you? I've studied you very closely. By your voice I can tell that you are very much in love. But by the way that you look at Bryce, I can tell that you are not in love with him. Please be honest with me. Am I correct?"

Sarah looked at him sadly. Blowing her cover would have consequences. But it was also impossible to deny. "You are," she finally said. "Your majesty, please don't be angry with me. I never meant to deceive you. When we visited two years ago, Bryce and I weren't married, but we were somewhat together. That ended about a year ago. What I have now is different. I'm in love for the first time in my life."

The king's smile turned warm. "How could I possibly be angry at you?" he asked. "We're friends. I'm disappointed that you won't be with me tonight. But I'm very happy for you. You are obviously very much in love. I would like to meet this very lucky man. He must be incredible."

He couldn't have possibly said anything better than to praise Chuck. Sarah knew that it would get the tongues wagging even more than they already were, but she moved in closer and embraced him anyway. "He is," she replied. "More than I can describe to you. My words fail me. And thank you for your warm thoughts, but actually, I'm the lucky one. I would be so honored for you to meet him. Perhaps, one day, we can come to Qatar. Would you allow that?"

"Sarah," the king said. "Don't be ridiculous. You would always be welcome in my home. I look forward to it. You are staying in the same room as Bryce. Tell me, isn't that uncomfortable for you?"

Sarah nodded sadly. "It's very uncomfortable," she admitted. "It is causing my husband a lot of pain. He and Bryce have some uncomfortable history. The only reason I agreed is because of our friendship."

"Don't worry," the king replied with a smile. "Bryce will not be in your room tonight."

"Thank you for the concern, your majesty," Sarah said. "But I would get in trouble if my superiors found out that you knew the truth."

"Don't worry, Sarah," the king said with a smile. "I can be discreet. It's a talent one needs to be king."

Sarah really didn't know what to say. This was too good to be true. So she allowed their embrace to linger until the guilt set in. Chuck had watched his wife willingly get naked in an erotic show before a room full of Fulcrum agents without one complaint. He had watched her pour herself into a shear t-shirt and serve drinks in a topless bar without giving her one sense of guilt. He had even watched her offer herself to be basically stripped and thoroughly felt up in semi-public by a drug lord… again without complaint. But would he be okay watching her show some genuine affection to someone that he knew she honestly liked? Could she watch him give another woman honest affection without turning green? She didn't have to answer her own question so she broke the long embrace. "Thank you so much, your majesty," she said with a sigh. "I really value your friendship. If there is anything I can ever do to be of service to you, please let me know."

Sarah looked at the smile on his face. Those words didn't exactly come out right in this context. "At least I'd be happy to perform any service that I can tell my husband about," she corrected.

That got the king laughing. "You could dance with me again," he said hopefully.

Sarah embraced him again, this time more casually. Everybody in the room already assumed that they were going to spend the night together anyway. What harm could come from more dancing? And she did love to dance. Chuck would surely understand that. "Your majesty," she said. "That wouldn't be me performing a service for you."

"That would just be fun."

x-x-x-x-x

At least the new plan meant that he wouldn't have to be undercover as a couple with Carina tonight… or so Chuck thought anyway. The odds of someone watching them at this point approached zero. But it turned out that Carina was just as overly cautious as Sarah was… sometimes. They agreed not to tell Sarah anything about Angel. Chuck didn't like keeping things from Sarah, but why worry her? For one thing, nothing was decided and she had her own problems. So here they were… getting ready for bed. Chuck was lying in bed watching Sports Center as Carina was in the bathroom changing.

"Chuck," Carina called from the bathroom. "Would you turn off the television? I need your attention for a minute."

Chuck had no idea what she wanted… but Sports Center was not his favorite thing anyway. "Sure," he said as clicked the remote. "What do you want to tell me?"

Carina walked out of the bathroom. "I want your opinion on something," she said. "What do you think about this negligee?"

Chuck looked at her. Suddenly spending the night as an undercover couple made sense. They were plainly messing with him. Carina was wearing the yellow teddy they had discussed in the car. Casey was right. With the lights of the bathroom behind her, it was, for all intents and purposes, transparent. She had on a pair of dark panties but that was it. If he needed any other indication of her intent, the fact that she was wearing high heels was the kicker. This was a presentation. All he could do was to shake his head. "Carina," he said. "What are you wearing? What will Casey and Sarah say?"

Carina grinned at him. "Come on, Chuck," she said. "We're undercover as a couple. We've talked about this. This is how I act as a couple. You want me to stay in character don't you? And you've already seen everything that I'm showing you now. Don't you remember?"

Fortunately Chuck didn't have to answer. Just then his cell phone rang. Sarah's picture sprang up on the screen. "This is Sarah," he said. "Please tell me that I can take it?"

Carina nodded. She was on the edge of tasting Sarah's left foot as it was. Maybe she'd be able to see the humor in the teasing… with a careful enough explanation. But if she cheated her out of talking to him… Carina didn't want to think about it. "Go ahead," she said. "I'll be here waiting when you are done."

Chuck walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

"Hi, Sarah. I'm so glad that you called."

"Hi Chuck. I'm missing you so much. What are you doing?"

"Carina and I are undercover. We're in the hotel room right now. I'm in the bathroom. How did your day go?"

"Well, I just got back from a State Ball in honor of the king. I blew my cover with him. I'm getting so horrible at this spy stuff."

"You blew your cover? Are you in trouble?"

"I don't think so. He was really cool about it. The good news is that he's keeping Bryce busy so I don't have to sleep with him tonight."

"That is good news. I wish that I could say the same about Carina."

"Is she messing with you? She's just kidding, you know?"

"Yeah. I know. Don't worry. I have a plan."

"I'm sure that you do."

"I miss you so much. When can you come home?"

"Soon. I miss you too. The king wants to meet you."

"I'm surprised that he hasn't put the moves on you. Has he?"

"A little. He asked me to come to his room tonight. That's when I blew my cover. Chuck, he's really a nice guy. I think that you would like him. He could have gone to the CIA and put a ton of pressure on me. That would have gotten really ugly. But he didn't. He understood. He said that he can see in my eyes that I'm lovesick and that he's happy for me. He knew right away that I wasn't married to Bryce. So he took care of it for me. He wants us to come to Qatar. Would you like that?"

"I guess. I'm not sure where Qatar is. Would you be coming with me?"

"Of course, silly. It's right next to Iraq."

"Not exactly the vacation hot spot. I was hoping for Hawaii. But I'll go anywhere if you go with me."

"That's sweet. Hawaii is most definitely going to happen. That was my deal with Graham. I'd better let you go. It's late."

"Okay. Can you call tomorrow?"

"I hope so. We'll see."

"I love you. You know that. Right?"

"I know. I never get tired of hearing it though. I love you too."

"I know. Goodnight, Sarah. Enjoy the empty bed."

"Goodnight, Chuck. Don't enjoy the not so empty bed too much."

As soon as Chuck was out of the bathroom, Carina was in bed grinning. "How is she doing?" she asked. "Has she killed Bryce yet?"

That got them both laughing. "Not yet," Chuck said. "But I do think that he is catching a cold from the chill in the room."

Carina slid over next to Chuck and cuddled with him. "You never told me what you think of my negligee," she cooed.

It was time for this crap to end. So Chuck put his arms around her and pulled her in close. "It's very sexy," he said. "Have I told you how incredibly beautiful you are?"

It was the last thing that Carina expected him to say. "No," she replied.

Chuck pulled back a little to check her out. "Well you are," he said. "You're one of the sexist women I have ever seen. And we are a couple tonight. Aren't we?"

"I guess," Carina agreed hesitantly. "But what about Sarah?"

"Sarah tells me that being undercover is a role," Chuck said. He pulled her in close again and kissed her. "Come on Carina. You know Sarah. She of all people understands what you have to do for cover. This isn't Chuck and Carina in this bed. This is our cover personalities. She's always on me to get wild pretending to be someone else. She tells me that I'm not accountable for anything that happens. It's better than a 'get out of jail free' card. What right does she have to complain anyway? She's in bed with Bryce right now as we speak. Who knows that he's planning?"

Carina just looked at him.

"I'm glad you're here," Chuck said. "It's been two days. The horns are starting to grow long. I've gotten used to a certain level of sexual activity." Chuck kissed her again. This time he opened his mouth. As soon as he did, Carina turned her head to break the kiss.

Chuck held her tight. "Come on, Carina," he said. "This isn't the time to get cold feet. You're famous about being casual about sex. I know that you want this just as much as I do. Why else would you be here in bed with me basically naked?" He grabbed her and rolled on his back so that she was on top on him. He grabbed the hem of her teddy and began to lift it off of her.

Carina jumped out of bed. "What are you doing?" she yelled. "We can't do this. What about…" Her protest trailed off as she realized that Chuck was rolling on the bed in laughter. That got her laughing as the realization sunk in. "You son of a bitch," she said. "How long have you known?"

Chuck was still laughing. "Ever since the car," he said. "I mean, Casey acting jealous? Come on. He has to be the worst actor ever in the history of the world."

Carina was still laughing as she slid back into bed, this time on her own side. "Well in that case," she said. "Maybe you'd be up to helping me mess with him?"

"I'm always up for that."

x-x-x-x-x


	4. Dream lover

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Dream Lover**

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah was late. It was the damnedest thing. She couldn't really remember why… but she was definitely late. She struggled finding the Math department. She wasn't yet that familiar with the Stanford campus. All she did know was that it was home to a gazillion geeks. Everyplace you looked, there was a Lester type person gawking at her like he had never seen a woman before. No wonder Chuck wanted to come back here and finish up. It seemed like every single person she stopped and asked for directions talked to her in a different language. She was beginning to panic a little. But she finally found Jill's office. Sarah breathed a huge sigh of relief as she recognized Jill through the ajar office door. She was much prettier than the picture Ellie had shown her. The girl must have learned about makeup at some point. And since when did a college professor wear such a provocative dress? The cleavage she was flashing bordered on indecent.

At last Sarah spotted Chuck. That was good. Seeing him never failed to bring a smile to her face. But what was he doing? _Oh my God. Why is he kissing her?_ They were really going at it. Chuck's hands were everywhere as they were franticly trying to undress each other.

Sarah stood paralyzed, unable to do anything but watch. They had to see her. She was standing right there in front of them. They would do this in front of an open door? She tried to yell at them to stop but no words would come.

With a single tug, Chuck had Jill's dress off. He began to kiss his way down her neck as he reached behind her to unhook her bra. As soon as Jill's bra hit the floor, Chuck dropped to his knees. This was a move that Sarah was very familiar with. What was coming next was very predictable. He did it for her a couple of times a week. While he was working his way down her stomach, Jill encouraged him with wordless moans filled with desire.

"What about your wife?" Jill asked.

Chuck just laughed and continued his journey south. "What about her?" he asked. "Don't worry about her. I can't tell you how many times she's done this with other men. And you have to know. I love you. I've never stopped loving you."

Now Chuck had pulled her panties off and Jill was naked. He pushed her to sit on the desk. Just then, Jill's phone began to ring. Chuck kept going. The phone rang again. Chuck finally lifted his head with a grin. "Do you want to answer that?" he asked.

Jill shook her head. "Hell no," she said. "Please don't stop. You've always been so good at this. I've missed it. I've missed you. I love you so much. I should have had my head examined five years ago. I want you now."

The phone rang again.

Sarah woke up with a start to the phone ringing. It was her eight o'clock wake up call. She was wringing wet with sweat. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she looked around, trying to process where she was. Unable to catch her breath, she grabbed her cell phone and instinctively hit Chuck's number. Her hands were shaking so badly that she could hardly hold the phone to her ear. Chuck answered on the third ring.

'Hi, Sarah."

Sarah tried to speak but no words would come.

"Sarah? Are you there?"

"I'm here."

"Sarah, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just needed to hear your voice."

"Sarah, you're crying. Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong. Not now. I had a bad dream. I needed to hear your voice."

"It must have been a really bad dream. Do you want to tell me about it?"

"It was awful. You and Jill. I saw you. She was naked. You were pleasuring her on her desk. You told her that you loved her. I tried to stop you but I couldn't move."

"Sarah, that was just a stupid dream. You know that would never really happen, don't you?"

"I guess."

"You guess? Sarah, you can't guess. You have to know. I'm so in love with you that I can't even imagine what you're saying. The only woman I'm ever going to be pleasuring on a… well anywhere really, is you. As soon as you get home, be prepared for me to remind you. Please tell me that you know."

"Okay, Chuck. You're right. I know. I'm looking forward to being reminded. It's been a few days."

"That's my girl. I can't believe it. Super spy Sarah Bartowski is scared of a dream? I would have never figured that."

"I know. It's embarrassing. Before I met you, I would never admit that I was afraid of anything… even to myself. I'm hardy ever afraid. I've been shot at, had knives thrown at me, and had to defuse bombs. But I was never afraid. The only thing that I'm really terrified of is losing you. And I'm not embarrassed to admit it."

"Then there's nothing in the world to be afraid of, is there? I'm clearly not doing my job. I'll tell you what I'll do. You need to feel so loved that you don't have any reason left to be afraid. How about every day for the next fifty years, I'll dedicate my life to making sure that you feel like you're the most loved woman in the world? Just to make sure that you never question it. Would that help?"

"It sure wouldn't hurt."

"At our Golden Anniversary party we'll reassess the situation. Then maybe, you can take the next fifty years. Does that sound fair?"

"Yes. Very fair. Sweetie, thanks for cheering me up. I'm sorry that I woke you up so early."

"Don't worry about it. I would have stayed up all night just to be able to hear your voice. You sound like an angel. After all, you're the most loved woman in the world."

"I know. Thank you."

"I was sort of hoping that you would come home and thank me in a more physical way. But you're welcome."

"Chuck, trust me. The thanking isn't over yet."

"You know that I'm looking forward to that. I love you. Goodbye, Sarah."

"I love you too. Goodbye, Chuck."

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as Chuck ended the call and left the bathroom, Carina was waiting for him. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Chuck was grinning. "Nothing really," he said. "She just had a bad dream, that's all. She was pretty shaken up. I think she's better now."

So now Carina was grinning. "The dream must have been about you," she said. "Were you killed or with another woman?"

Chuck was impressed. "Another woman," he replied. "How did you know?"

Carina shrugged her shoulders and sat on the bed. "That's pretty easy," she said. "The only thing that could scare Sarah enough to call you unplanned while on an assignment is if she thought she was losing you."

Chuck looked at her. This was getting frustrating. "Why would she be afraid of that?" he asked. "No, Carina. I mean really, help me here. I love her to death. I would never do anything to hurt her. Why is she so afraid? Have I ever done anything to make her lose confidence in me? Because if I have, I want to stop."

Carina stopped grinning. "It's not you," she said. "It's her. She's never had anybody that she could truly count on her whole life. I guess that she's afraid that you're too good to be true… that this is too good to last. She keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop. It's something that I'm afraid that you're going to have to deal with for a while. She's going to be kind of clingy… a little overprotective maybe. Cut her some slack. Okay?"

Chuck shook his head incredulously. "You're talking about Sarah like she's this insecure shy little girl," he protested. "She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. She commands every room that she's in. She can speak a million languages. She can throw a knife and kill a fly. Why on earth would she be insecure?"

Carina shook her head. "You just described Agent Walker," she said. "I'll agree that she is everything you just said… and more. But you're married to Sarah. She's built up some pretty impressive walls to protect herself and she doesn't allow anyone in… until you. She's just starting to let you inside. If you want more, you're going to have to prove to her that she won't get hurt. Sarah is insecure. Why do you think that she got sucked up by Bryce?"

All of a sudden this struck Chuck as funny. "She's going to be clingy," he repeated. "Sarah is going to be clingy to me? You're saying that like it's a bad thing. It sounds like a fantasy to me."

Carina joined his laughing. "I hope so," she said. "Because you're going to get a lot of it."

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Chuck asked. "You don't have to answer if you don't want."

Carina nodded for Chuck to continue.

"What about you? What are you looking for? Do you have walls? How do you really feel about Casey? Is that where you see yourself?"

Talk about a surprise question. It was probably the last thing she expected him to ask. It was almost impossible to get Carina Miller to blush… but it was already up her neck and into her face. "Wow," she said. "I don't really know how to answer that."

"Too personal?"

Carina shook her head softly. "It's not too personal," she said. "That's not it. I just don't know how to explain it. Sure I have walls. All agents do that survive for any length of time. They're just not the same ones as Sarah. Casey and me? It's complicated. I think that Casey is great. In my own way, I love him very much. I do. But when I look at you and Sarah, what we have just isn't like that. We're both more driven to do the job then we are to be dedicated to each other. Will that grow over time? Maybe."

"Are you going to sleep with Scott Wilson tonight?"

Carina had been wrong a moment ago. That was the very last thing she expected him to ask. "Wow, Chuck," she said. "I don't know. If I have to, I guess. I've never shied away from that. I hope not."

"But you would? How would Casey react to that?"

"Casey understands," Carina said softly, almost to herself. "He wouldn't be happy about it. He'd want me to avoid it if I could. But he wouldn't be mad at me. Maybe he'd be sad for a while. He would make the same kind of sacrifice. He's given up his chance at a normal life too. I guess that's part of what brings us together."

"Is that what Sarah would expect from me? I don't think I can do that."

That finally got a smile. "No, Chuck," she said. "Sarah has never done it. She's come close. Even if Sarah was once willing, I think those days are over. That's what being with you has done."

Chuck looked at her. "I'm not judging you," he insisted. "You deserve nothing but my respect. But I wish that you didn't have to either. I mean, it's demeaning. These guys blow up little kids. They're evil beyond belief. How can you do it? How can you lay there and let them use you?"

"Chuck," Carina said. "It needs to be done. The more evil they are, the more they need to be stopped. If I can stop them from blowing up little kids, then I guess I'm willing to sleep with them. Besides, sometimes I get to shoot them."

"But how do you get through it? How do you make yourself look and act sexy with these guys?

That got Carina grinning again. "I've been trained," she said. "I think that I should let Sarah tell you about the details of that if she wants to. That's more a wife thing. But the short answer is that I think of myself as an actress playing a role. And trust me; most of these guys are so eager to get you into bed that they're easy to fool. They could really care less how you feel. They just want into your pants."

"Do you ever enjoy it? I'm sorry. That was inappropriate. Please don't answer that."

Carina's grin turned a little sad. "Will you stop worrying about offending me?" she teased. "It's a fair question. I enjoy sex. I always have. A guy who enjoys sex is a stud. A woman who enjoys sex is a slut. That never seemed fair to me. To be honest, there were times in my past where I did enjoy it. To be brutally honest, there were times when I could have gotten out of it and didn't. You heard all about the Pittsburgh story. If you want to know about me and Casey, I'll tell you this. I don't think I'll ever enjoy it again as long as we're together. Did that answer your question?"

"Yes. You're right. It's not fair. Does dealing with marks change the way that you feel about sex?"

That got Carina's grin back. "We're not talking about me anymore," she said. "Are we?"

Chuck had just been called… and he knew it. "No," he admitted.

"Don't worry, Chuck," Carina said with a laugh. "Sarah lives for you. I'm going to tell you something that she would kick my ass if she found out about. Sarah didn't think that she liked sex very much until you. Now, I think that she is making up for lost time."

"I know that she always stopped short of actual sex. Did Sarah ever enjoy what she did with a mark?"

"Okay, now you're just trying to get me into trouble," Carina said laughing. "That is a question that you really need to ask Sarah. I'm guessing because I don't know. We've never actually had this specific discussion. But I would say it depends on what you mean. Sarah has always been all about the job. So I think she enjoys being successful. I don't think she necessarily enjoys what she had to do to get there sometimes."

Chuck was laughing. "She told me that she didn't believe most of your stories," he said.

Carina punched him in the arm playfully. "She does now," she said. "Now I'm not sure that I believe some of hers. Thank you, sensei."

"I appreciate your honesty," Chuck said. "It helps me understand Sarah a lot better. I'm very, very happy that you're on the team. I'm also glad that you decided to put on my t-shirt."

"Thanks, Chuck," Carina said.

"Maybe Sarah should wake us up at five every morning."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah smiled as she disconnected the call with Chuck. How could you possibly miss someone so much after only two days? He had this magic thing going. Just the sound of his voice could always make her feel better. The dream was quickly becoming just an unpleasant memory. Better yet, she hadn't seen Bryce since last night at the ball. With that in mind, it was a much more pleasurable morning than yesterday had been. Sarah took her time in the shower knowing that Bryce didn't need his turn.

Sarah quietly got dressed and headed to the reception room where breakfast was being served. The room was a bustle of activity. Sarah looked around but neither Bryce nor the king was there.

As soon as Sarah entered the room, the king's personal assistant walked up to her. "Mrs. Larkin," she said. "The king would like to speak with you in his private quarters. Would you please follow me?"

Sarah fought the grimace at being referenced as Mrs. Larkin. "Of course," she replied. The assistant led her down the hall and stopped at a large door and indicated that Sarah should proceed. Sarah stepped up and knocked on the door.

As soon as Sarah was in the room, she stepped up to him. "Your majesty," she said. "You wanted to see me?"

The king's smile was beaming. "Sarah," he said. "Please come in my friend. How did you sleep?"

Sarah had no need to fake her smile. It was warm and genuine. "I slept well, your majesty," she said. "Thank you for the private room last night. It was very nice of you."

"It was my pleasure," he said. "I very much enjoyed our dancing. Maybe when you bring your husband to Qatar we can do it again. If he will allow it, that is."

"I look forward to that very much," Sarah said. "And so will he. I promise that you will love him. He is quite charming."

"I suppose that you're wondering why I asked for you this morning?" asked the king.

The though had crossed Sarah's mind. Of course, she knew what everyone was thinking. The king was getting a little morning wood. "Yes, your majesty," she replied.

"I wanted to say goodbye," the king said sadly. "I will go back to Qatar this afternoon. I feel that I'm keeping you away from your husband."

Sarah was alarmed. Refusing this assignment would have been bad. But if they found out that he was leaving because of her, the resulting crap storm would be visible from outer space. "Your majesty," she said. "Please don't cut your visit short because of me. It is far too important that our countries become closer. It would make me feel horrible to feel that I interrupted that."

The king's grin was board. "Don't worry, Sarah," he said. "The visit has been a huge success. All of the work has been done. We will have a press conference within the hour to announce the new base. I'll not deny that I had hoped that you and I would become closer. But I see that cannot be. It's time for me to go home. And it's time that you got back to this love that I see in your eyes."

Sarah knew that this wasn't proper. But she embraced him anyway. "Your majesty," she said. "Please forgive me for being forward. I would enjoy very much if we could become closer. But only as friends, I'm afraid. I just want to thank you for your friendship. You could have put a lot of pressure on me and you didn't. I am totally in your debt."

"Yes, you are," the king teased. "Sarah, do you really think that I would want to force you into something? We both know that it wouldn't work anyway. You can repay me by promising me that you'll be quicker in returning my emails and we won't have so much time pass before our next meeting. I'm very much looking forward to our next dance. You know, as king I get almost everything that I want. I just wish that I could have you."

Sarah knew exactly what he meant. He wasn't talking about a romance. That wouldn't be possible, even if she was available. Even what everyone was assuming would be a scandal he would have to deal with when he got back home. The King of Qatar couldn't ever marry… or even seriously date a western woman. Of course he wasn't the first man to suggest that Sarah get naked and join him for some meaningless sex. He might not be the last. He certainly wasn't the smoothest. But he was the victor by this measure. A year ago, he would have gotten his wish. He was the only suitor to get a genuine blush from her. "Your majesty," she said as she stood there and blushed. "Thank you. That is so unbelievably flattering."

"Goodbye, Sarah."

"Goodbye your majesty" Sarah said as she kissed the king on the cheek.

Sarah was in such a good mood that she thought briefly about ditching the bra and allowing the tongues that were already wagging to hit the floor. Chuck would probably be okay with that, hopefully find it funny. If she knew for sure, she might have. As it was, she left the room struggling to keep her composure. After all, she was still in a public area. But even as she struggled, she was unable to contain the huge grin on her face. As soon as she was safely in her room with the door closed, she jumped in the air and pumped her fist. It took about a minute to throw her things into her bag. She had already called for the limo to take her to Dulles. Hopefully Chuck was well rested. Rested or not he had better be ready for a huge night.

Sarah was coming home.

x-x-x-x-x

 _It should be noted that almost exactly fifty years later to the very day; Chuck and Sarah were at their Golden Anniversary celebration that was being thrown by their five kids. It was the celebration of the most unlikely love story anyone could imagine. "Kids" was even a stretch since they were all grandparents in their own right. Four generations of the Bartowski extended family filled the hall. The youngest great granddaughter was only six weeks old. It was the first time that they had all been in the same place in many years. For some of the younger ones, it was the first time ever. The only mar on the event was that Casey wasn't there, having passed away two years ago. After the dinner was over and the toast was complete, Sarah grabbed Chuck's hand and led him to a quiet spot. She reminded him of their conversation of nearly fifty years ago that happened while they were a continent apart. She kissed him tenderly, actually more than once, and thanked him for keeping his promise. She had indeed felt like the most loved person in the world every single day for the past fifty years. She told him that she was now confident enough so that maybe he could quit working at it so hard._

 _Chuck respectfully declined._

x-x-x-x-x


	5. The Ex

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _So, I read an interview with Zach the other day. Apparently, he is still working on a Chuck movie. He can't get the rights from WB until he has a script. But he doesn't have the money to hire a writer. So I nominate BrickRoad. She understands the characters and would work cheap (I think anyway)._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **The Ex**

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah had already packed long ago and was just waiting for the limo to take her to the airport when Bryce walked into the room. He looked tired and upset. "Is there any reason that the king asked for me to join the night security detail?" he asked with a distinct edge of hostility. "If you wanted to be alone so you could sneak off to the king's bed, you could have just said so. I wouldn't tell Chuck."

Sarah had about had it with his act. Actually, that wasn't true. She had totally had it with his insulting act. So she made sure that her voice contained zero humor. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "I didn't sleep with the king if that's what you're inferring. We're friends."

"Friends?" Bryce asked sarcastically. "Are you really going to stand there and tell me that he didn't want into your pants?"

Sarah shook her head sadly. "I understand that you don't get the concept of friends," she said. "Yes, he asked. But when I told him that I was happily married, he understood. He was happy for me. That's what a true friend does."

If Bryce got her not so subtle shot, he didn't say anything. He looked at her packed bag sitting on the bed. "Are you leaving?" he asked.

"Yes," Sarah answered. "Our mission is over. The king is returning to Qatar this morning. I'm going to the airport."

Bryce sat on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hands. "Okay, Sarah," he sighed softly. "I'm tired. You win."

Sarah shook her head in disgust. "What do you mean, I win?" she asked. "What did I win?"

Bryce looked at her for a long moment. "Come on, Sarah," he said. "It's pretty obvious. You're punishing me. You wanted to make me jealous. Okay. It worked. I'm jealous. Are you happy?"

So now Sarah was really confused. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

Bryce stood to face her. "Didn't you hear me?" he asked. "Your plan worked. I admit it. I'm jealous. You win. I mean you and Chuck? It's pretty obvious isn't it? You need to hear me say it. You need to break me down. Okay. I want you back. Isn't that what you wanted?"

At first Sarah wasn't sure that he wasn't teasing. "You want me back?" she asked.

Bryce nodded and sided up to Sarah and put his arm around her. "I get it," he said. "You need more. I think that I understand how you feel. But I have to tell you, using Chuck like this is kind of low."

Sarah was too shocked to respond. She was already seeing red. This crap had to end. This was one of his best friends. "This is going to kill him, you know?" she said.

Bryce misunderstood her. "Chuck will be okay," he insisted. "He's a survivor. He knows in his heart that he's not in you league. He's a smart guy. He must be anticipating something like this was going to happen. He'll be down for a while. But he'll get over it."

Bryce's words hit her between the eyes. Sarah was torn between being devastated and being furious. The truth was, Bryce was right… about one small thing. Chuck was always anticipating something like this. In fact, Bryce had just stated almost word for word what Chuck always feared. That was the devastating part. Instead of understanding, his wife dismissed his fears and called them silly. But ultimately he was right. His friend was trying to betray him. It was the last thing that the nicest guy in the world should ever have to hear. As soon as she could, she was going to make a serious effort to apologize to him and promise to be more understanding. "How am I going to tell him about this?" she asked sadly. "I don't know how to do it. He's going to be devastated."

Again, Bryce misunderstood her. "Don't worry," he said. He sat on the bed and pulled Sarah down next to him. "We'll figure out something. But first, let me give you something that I know you've been missing."

Suddenly through her rage, Sarah knew exactly what to do. This was beyond ridiculous. So she forced the smile on her face. "Why don't you relax for a minute?" she asked. "You're tired. I've got this one. This is something that I've been fantasizing about for a while now."

Well the third time misunderstanding her proved to be costly. When Bryce felt Sarah reach for his zipper, he closed his eyes and let out a moan of pleasure. Sarah doing this particular act was her sign of surrender. It was always hard to get her in this position. This had been a hard fought victory. He knew that she could never resist his charm. After a moment he felt a sharp pressure. When he opened his eyes, she saw Sarah holding a very large knife against his… well, against his testicles.

Sarah was so angry that it was hard to get the words out. "You son of a bitch," she snarled. "You fucking egotistical, self-centered bastard. I was talking about how hard it would be to tell him what an asshole he has for a friend. He loves you. And you would hurt him like this? That wouldn't hurt him. It would kill him. He is the most amazing man in the world. I love him so much. We're going to start a family as soon as we possibly can. So consider this your official one and only warning. If you never hear another word I say, hear this. I'll kill you before I'll let you hurt him again. He's been dealt a lot of crappy breaks in the past year but none as bad as having a friend like you. And I'm telling you right now, I swear to you, Bryce, if I ever get in this position again, I'll cut them off, wrap them up, and include them in Chuck's Christmas present. Do you understand?"

It was hard to protest with that large knife pressed into his scrotum. Bryce nodded in fear, afraid to move.

That wasn't nearly good enough. "DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND?" Sarah yelled at the top of her lungs.

There was one thing about Sarah… when she used that language she was being serious… and she was crazy enough to do it. "Yes," Bryce said. "Don't cut me. I understand."

Sarah stood up and snatched her bag from the bed. "Here's the deal. Stay the fuck away from us. He has enough people trying to hurt him. He doesn't need friends like you."

Sarah paused at the door and threw her knife into the bed about a half an inch from his crotch. "And, Bryce," she said. "For your sake, I hope to God that you're not fucking stupid enough to think that I won't do it."

"That mistake in judgement would cost you a testicle."

x-x-x-x-x

Casey was in Carina and Chuck's room going over their plan for today's activities. "I'm happy to see that you both are fully dressed," he said.

Chuck was still in a good mood. He started laughing. "I know," he said. "We both thought that it was time to get some clothes on. Casey, you were right about that yellow nightgown. Did you realize that you can see right through it? It was amazing. She really has a fantastic body. You must really be proud."

Carina grinned as she twisted the knife. "Aw thanks, Chuck," she said. "You're not so bad yourself. I don't think that I've ever seen you without a shirt before. I was impressed… very impressed. It's a good thing that Sarah called. I was having a hard time staying on my side of the bed."

Chuck was enjoying the teasing at Casey's expense. "Well, I have to admit," he said. "When you're in character, you're in character. I was having a hard time with it at first, especially after Sarah called. But then I finally got into it. I'm sorry where my hand was when we woke up. I must have been dreaming or something."

Casey already had more than his fill of this nonsense. "Can we get to work here?" he growled. "Unless you two would like me to wait outside for a few more minutes while you get back into character."

Carina sensed that maybe they were pushing this too far, so she sided into him. "Sorry, big guy," she said. "You know that we're just teasing. I think that Chuck and I are over for now. It's time that I got ready for Scott Wilson, don't you think?"

"About freaking time," Casey said. "Let's go over this one more time. Chuck will wait outside the hotel for Angel. Once we know for sure that he was able to intercept her, Carina will make her move on Wilson. I'll be in the car monitoring Carina, who I'm hoping can avoid becoming impregnated. Chuck, you're going to be on your own with Angel. I'll take you back to your place to pick up the Porsche."

Chuck winced a bit. Nobody said anything about taking Sarah's car… on a seduction mission. "Are you sure that's a good idea," he asked timidly. "Do you think that Sarah is going to be okay with me using her car to impress another woman?"

Now they were back on Casey's turf. "Probably not," he agreed. "You're going to have to impress Angel somehow. I just don't see anything impressive about you without a hot car. Even then, it's a stretch. But it's all we have."

Chuck ignored his shot. "But what do I do with her?" he asked.

Casey was laughing. "In the spy business, this is what we call 'your fucking problem'," he said. "I really don't care. Do anything that you want. Just keep her away from the hotel. Maybe you can pretend that she's that Deli chick and teach her to play hide the salami."

Carina stopped Casey's teasing with a look. "Why don't you take her to dinner and for a drive in the car?" she suggested. "What would you normally do on a first date? Maybe walk on the beach for a while. She'll love that. Just remember to always stay in public. We're talking about a total coke head here. There is no telling what she's into or capable of."

"Can we please stop calling this a date?" Chuck asked. "It's an assignment."

Casey ignored his protest. "I'll give you a GPS device to wear," he said. "But it's not going to be much good. I'll be stuck here backing up Carina. You'll need to turn off your cell phone. We can't have Sarah calling you and blowing your cover. Call me as soon as you've taken her home. Carina's right. Be very careful. She's on the clock so I expect that she'll be on her best behavior, but the truth is we have no idea what she might do."

"I feel sorry for her," Chuck said sadly. "Can't we get her some help?"

Carina looked at him for a long moment. Now she understood Sarah a little better. He really was the nicest guy in the world. "That's sweet, Chuck," she said. "It really is. In a way, I even admire it. But listen to me. Emotions like that have no place on an assignment like this. Here are the sad facts. Even if you could talk Angel into checking into the very best addiction treatment center in the world, there's an eighty percent relapse rate. Once you're addicted to the extent that she is, there is almost no chance of coming back from that. We need to concentrate our efforts in making sure that people like Angel don't become addicts in the first place. That's a hell of a lot more effective than trying to help them once they are addicted, especially when they don't want to be helped."

Casey shook his head in disgust. "It's time to man up, Bartowski," he said. "Your job is just to keep her out of the way tonight and tomorrow. Period. Not to fall in love with her."

Chuck shook his head sadly. "I'm not going to fall in love with her," he insisted. "I have that part of my life more than covered. I just feel sorry for her. I would like to help her if I could. You're probably right. I probably can't. But I still would like to try. What's wrong with that?"

Casey was grinning. "Nothing, I guess," he said.

"Good luck explaining that to Walker."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah was at the airport. She was still clearly fuming… to the point that people were visibly getting out of her way. Normally, that would have struck her as funny. Not today. Not only was there Bryce's ridiculous act, she had missed the early flight to L.A. and the next one that had a seat wasn't departing until seven that evening. That gave her several long hours to kill. She spent the first hour on the phone screaming at Director Graham about Bryce. Agents usually weren't allowed to scream at Directors. But they did have an unusual relationship. In this case he wisely sensed that she needed to vent and just let her rant, even though much of what she said bordered on insubordination. At least he promised that he would do his best to keep them apart. When Sarah finally ended her call, she realized that she still had several hours to kill. Then the idea hit her. She hadn't been to visit her apartment.

She almost forgot that she had an apartment. After all, it had been almost two years since she had been inside. On the cab ride all of the old memories of being a young agent came flooding back. Agents were taught to not put down roots, but this was the first place where she had ever lived on her own. She smiled as she remembered the years of living and working in Washington with the Secret Service. The apartment was just as she had remembered. She had come so used to living on the road that she had forgotten how good it felt to feel at home. She smiled as she looked at the pictures on the wall and the figurines on the end table. After she had taken all of the pictures with Bryce in them and thrown them in the trash, it hit her. _I need to bring Chuck here. He would love seeing this. This is something about myself that I can share with him._

Kicking herself for not having thought of it earlier, she vowed that she would bring him for a visit as soon as she could work it out. Just as she was ready to leave, there was a knock at the door. Her good mood vanished as she looked through the door and saw Bryce standing there. For a moment she thought that if she were quiet, he would go away.

No such luck. "Come on, Sarah," Bryce called through the door. "I thought that you'd be here. I know that you're in there. I saw you walk into the building."

This was a conversation that couldn't possibly go well. "Bryce, go away," Sarah shouted through the door.

Bryce lowered his voice until it had a pleading quality. "Sarah," he said. "Please let me in. I want to talk."

Sarah was still livid. "I have nothing to say to you," she said. "Go ahead and talk."

Bryce sighed. "Can you please open the door?" he asked. "I just want to talk. I'll only be a minute."

Sarah yanked the door open. "I'm warning you," she growled. "Do or say anything that I don't like, even a little bit, and you're going to get hurt. I'm in no mood for any more of your act today. Talk fast. I have a flight to catch. I miss my husband."

"You're serious aren't you?" Bryce said sadly as he entered the room. "You really did pick Chuck over me. Tell me why."

Sarah was maybe as pissed as she had ever been in her life without a corpse as a direct result. But this struck her as ridiculous. So her laugh was more derisive than humorous. "Wow," she said. "You are really arrogant enough that you can't believe that someone would actually pick Chuck over you. That's it isn't it?"

"I just want to know why."

At least this was a topic she was eager to discuss. "You deceive yourself," Sarah said. "You didn't lose to Chuck. You were never in the game. I was never in love with you. If you're being honest, you were never in love with me. I really didn't believe in love. Then I met Chuck. He wasn't like any other man I had ever met. I'll admit that if you and he were trying to pick up a random girl in a bar someplace, you'd win ninety nine times out of a hundred. He knows that too. For some reason, it makes him feel inferior. It's only when you spend some serious time with him that you discover how wonderful he truly is. He is a real person, not some good looking façade. He cares about people."

Sarah paused for a moment to gather her composure. "And he loves me," she was finally able to get out. "He honestly, truly loves me. I know that you think you know what I'm saying… but you don't have a clue. He loved me when he knew that it was probably never going to happen. He loved me when I was treating him like crap. I get that you don't understand a word of this. You're not capable of it. I've never felt loved in my whole life until I met Chuck. He would never, ever do anything to hurt me. His first and last thoughts are my happiness. He would put my needs above his own without question. Now I'm going to spend the rest of my life content that my first and last thoughts are going to be his happiness."

Bryce just looked at her.

"And, Bryce," Sarah continued with a smile growing on her lips. "I know that you think that you're really good in the sack. I'm here to tell you that you're not nearly as good as you think that you are. But you've never lived until you've made love with someone who truly loves you. It's a hundred times better… the most wonderful surprise of my life. I plan on having that experience later tonight, hopefully, more than once. You'll forgive me if I don't think about you."

Bryce turned and left the apartment without saying a word.

x-x-x-x-x


	6. Guardian Angel

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Guardian Angel**

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck was waiting outside of the hotel. Hopefully Sarah would be okay with this. She probably would. Then again, he'd feel a lot better about this if he heard it from her lips. Finally he spotted her approaching. So he forced the smile. "Hi Angel," he said. "Remember me?"

Angel just looked at him for a long moment. "Charles?" she asked. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

At least the look on her face struck him as funny. So Chuck's fake smile turned into a genuine grin. "I hired a private investigator to find you," he said. "I wanted to talk to you. I didn't like the way things ended. I looked for you at the club but they said that you didn't work there anymore."

"Yeah," Angel said. "Ever since the party got raided and I got out of jail, I haven't been back."

"I hear that," Chuck said with a small laugh. "It's the first time I've ever been arrested. I didn't care for it much."

At least that got Angel laughing. "Tell me about it," she said. "At least you had clothes on. I was naked waiting for you. They got the entire view. What happened to you?"

Chuck had read Angel's arrest report so he knew basically what had happened. "They questioned me for a few hours and when they realized that I didn't know anything they let me go," he said. "How about you?"

Angel nodded. "Pretty much the same," she said. "Look, Charles, I have to go."

"Angel, can we talk someplace?" Chuck asked.

Angel shook her head. "I'm sorry, Charles," she said. "I'm working. In fact, I'm late."

Chuck grinned again. "I know," he said. "Ladies on Your Arm? I called them. I got you reassigned to me tonight. Good thing for you. As it turns out you're not late. Punctuality is very important to me."

Angel just stared at him teasing her for a long moment. "You got me assigned to you?" she finally asked. "But what about the john in there?"

Chuck kept his grin as he gently grabbed Angel's arm and pulled her towards the car. "They're sending a replacement," he said. "Everything is taken care of. Can we talk about this in the car?"

Angle wasn't convinced. "I don't know, Charles," she said. "Are you sure about this? My services are pretty expensive."

Chuck laughed. It was hard to think of himself as rich, even though he really was. Sarah was serious about the money. It was just as much his. Of course, spending any of it for an escort probably wasn't high on Sarah's list of priorities. For this assignment, he needed to act like he had money. "Not to worry," he said. "I think that I've got that part covered."

Angel's eyes got wide as they stopped in front of the Porsche. "Oh my God," she said. "Is this your car?"

Chuck could maybe forgive her skepticism. It was hard for him to believe that it was his car too. "Do you like it?" he asked playfully. "Get in."

Angel was still plainly skeptical… but she was also plainly impressed. "So what's really going on here?" she asked they roared out of the parking lot. "I love this car."

"I hope this doesn't sound strange," Chuck said. "I understand that this might make me sound like a rich weird-o. But I liked spending time with you. I wanted to get to know you… not the dancer or the pro… just you. I figured that it wasn't fair to ask you to give up your income to go on a date with me. Instead, I'll hire you. Maybe someday we'll get to honestly know each other and we can go on a real date. But that's up to you."

"For now though, where do you want to eat?"

x-x-x-x-x

Carina was in the car with Casey watching Chuck. She was dressed to kill, wearing a green cocktail dress that screamed 'jump me'. The slit and cleavage were both at their maximum limits. The color of the dress was perfect to augment her hair. She looked her best, which was fantastic. As soon as they saw Chuck and Angel drive off she knew that her assignment was a go, so she entered the hotel. She went into the restaurant and spotted Scott Wilson sitting at a table. She took a moment to get her game face on, walked up to him, and put on her most dazzling smile. "Mr. Wilson," she said. "Hi. My name is Carina. Angel isn't feeling well tonight and they asked me to fill in for her. Would that be okay with you?"

When she put on the sexpot look, there was really only one possible answer to her question… and she knew it. Angel was pretty… but she wasn't in the same league. Wilson very conspicuously looked Carina over from head to toe, much like a lumberjack would look at a tree he was about to chop down. Finally he smiled. "Well, Carina," he said. "It looks like I just got the first class upgrade."

"Please sit down."

x-x-x-x-x

It was about eight o'clock when Sarah's flight landed at LAX. It had been a long, frustrating day, what with the missed flight, engine trouble on the plane, not to mention Bryce's nonsense. She hadn't let anyone know that she was arriving because she had wanted to surprise Chuck. Well actually, she wanted to do a lot more than surprise him. Maybe he could make her forget about her bad day… and hopefully her own name. As soon as she was in the cab, she dialed Chuck's number. It went directly to his voice mail. Next she tried Carina. Her phone also went directly to voice mail. Getting a little concerned, she tried Casey. Thankfully, he answered on the second ring. "Walker," he said with a laugh. "How is Washington? Have you killed Larkin yet?"

Sarah ignored his questions. All telling Casey about Bryce's foolishness would do would give him ammunition to poke fun at them. He already had too much of that. "Where's Chuck?" she asked.

Casey paused for a moment. "Well, actually," he said. "I'm not exactly sure."

At first Sarah wasn't sure that she heard him right. She wasn't in the mood for one of his mind games. "What the hell does that mean?" she asked loudly.

As Casey explained the situation Sarah hit the roof. "So, let me understand this," she said angrily. "You allowed the Intersect, not to mention my husband, to go off alone without backup with a cocaine addicted hooker who has a known association to the drug kingpin that we just executed? Are you out of your fucking mind? I sure hope there is more to the story than this. What could you possibly be thinking?"

And actually, hearing her say it, it didn't sound like the best idea. But admitting that to her at this point would be… bad. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Walker," he said. "He'll be fine. He just took her for a drive. I told him to call as soon as he takes her home."

Sarah already knew the answer. "Drive?" she asked. "What is he driving?"

"He's driving the Porsche."

So now Sarah really let him have it. "This story just keeps getting better and better doesn't it?" she asked sarcastically. "Are you sure that you didn't tell him to take the Porsche, zip up to Stanford after he's done with this fucking coke head, and covertly find out what color panties Jill is wearing tonight?"

Casey knew that when Sarah used that language, she was really pissed. So he held his snarky response in check. "I'll have him call you as soon as I hear from him," he said. "Will you be able to take his call?"

"I'm home," Sarah snapped. "The king left early. But don't tell Chuck. I'd like to surprise him… assuming he survives of course. Casey, this conversation is not over."

"I'll have him…" Casey's voice trailed off as he realized that he was speaking into a dead phone. He fully recognized the trouble that he was in.

"Not good."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck was driving Angel home. Going on a date with anyone that wasn't Sarah wasn't in his top ten list of things to do. But, in all honesty, he had to admit that they actually had a pretty good time. It turned out that Angel loved seafood so they went to her favorite place on the wharf. Chuck wasn't big on seafood but the fresh salmon that he ordered was quite good. After eating, he took Angel for a drive by the beach. The curves in the road were a perfect match for the performance characteristics of the Porsche. He could tell by her face that Angel was really enjoying the drive. After a while they stopped and walked on the beach, just making small talk. The holding hands thing wasn't his first choice, but she grabbed his. Finally Chuck suggested that it was time to take her home. When they got to Angel's building, he offered to walk her in.

That got Angel laughing. "That's okay," she said. "You can't leave this car parked in this neighborhood. It would never be here when you got back."

Her reasoning seemed sound. Having to explain to Sarah how he lost the Porsche on a date probably wouldn't go well for him. "Okay," he said. "Thank you. I really had a good time tonight."

Angel considered that for a moment. "You know what?" she asked. "So did I. It's the most fun I've had in a long time. Maybe someday we can go on that a real date you want. That is if our relationship was remotely real. Well goodnight."

She was just trying to be funny. But she also couldn't have possibly said anything more devastating. The very phrase that he had used so often to describe his relationship with Sarah hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Goodnight, Angel."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck was having a hard time. He had never in his life felt so lonely. He missed Sarah so much that it was painful. As he got close to home, he remembered that he was supposed to call Casey. The problem was that when he turned on his cell phone he instantly recognized that he had missed seven calls from Sarah. That just made him feel even worse. If he had missed his chance to talk to her tonight…

Casey answered on the first ring. He got right to the point. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Okay, so he wasn't alright. But he knew what Casey meant. "Yes," he said. "I just dropped Angel off. I'm almost home."

Casey didn't spend any time with small talk. "Call Walker," he said. "She wants to talk to you right away."

The phone went dead. Fortunately Sarah answered on the first ring just as he was pulling into the apartment parking lot. Her voice sounded shaky. "Chuck, thank God," she said. "I've been trying to call you. Are you alright? Where are you?"

Actually, hearing her voice only made it worse. He really didn't want to walk into that empty apartment. "I'm home," he sighed. "I'm in the parking lot and am just going in to the apartment. Sarah, I really miss you. I know that this assignment is important, but is there any way you can come home soon? I don't think I can take another night of this. I really need to hold you."

Sarah separated the binds and looked outside. She could see him through the window walking up the sidewalk. She was torn. She was so eager to see him that she was almost dancing. In a few seconds, she'd be in his arms. But the hurt in his voice broke her heart. Suddenly surprising him didn't seem like such a good idea. "Don't worry," she said. "The time will go by fast. You're going to see me before you know it. I promise."

Chuck opened the door and walked into the apartment. Naturally, he saw Sarah standing there with the phone still to her ear and a huge grin on her face. "I told you the time would go by fast," she said. "I always keep my promises."

Chuck stood there for a moment, unsure that he was really seeing his wife. Suddenly they were in each other's arms. The phones were lying on the floor where they had dropped them. At first they were frantically trying to kiss each other and hug each other at the same time. For the moment anyway, hugging won out. They held each other so tightly that they had a hard time breathing… but neither one complained.

Finally Chuck spoke. "How are you here?" he asked.

"The king went home early," Sarah said. "I've been here for a couple of hours."

"Why didn't you call?"

That got Sarah laughing. "I wanted to surprise you," she said. "Besides, I did call. I think that I called ten times. I was really getting worried."

"I'm so sorry that you were worried," Chuck said with a sigh. "I didn't know."

"I'm sorry too," Sarah said. "You sounded so sad. But that's going to have to wait. This isn't the time to be sorry. This is the time to take me to bed."

Chuck looked at his wife. She had plainly anticipated this moment because the few clothes she was wearing were pretty much just hanging on her shoulders.

"I would never say no to that."

x-x-x-x-x

About twenty minutes later Chuck and Sarah were in their bed trying to catch their respective breaths. "Wow," Chuck said. "That was incredible. I was afraid that we might be a little rusty."

That got Sarah giggling. "It's a little too soon to get cocky, Mr. Bartowski," she said. "In fact, I hope that you're pacing yourself. I have a long, long night planned. Then we'll have to stop messing around with the foreplay and get to the actual sex." She got out of bed and walked over to where their cell phones were lying on the floor.

"What are you doing with my phone?" Chuck asked.

"I'm checking to see how many times I called you tonight," Sarah teased. "I think that's how many times I'm going to ask you to prove to me that you're truly sorry."

Chuck tried to grab his phone out of Sarah's hand, but he was too late.

Sarah's face instantly turned from giddy and teasing to sad. "Why did Bryce call you today?" she asked. "Chuck, please tell me the truth."

Chuck plainly didn't want to tell her. "He said that he thought that I should know something," he finally said sadly. "He told me that he's almost positive that there is something going on between you and the king… that you slept with him last night."

Sarah shook her head. "That bastard," she said, more to herself than anybody.

"Please don't let that ruin our night," Chuck pleaded. "He's lying. I didn't believe him for a second. But he must have put a move on you."

Sarah nodded. "He did," she said. "I was going to tell you about it. Your friend tried to betray you. I'm very sorry."

Chuck wrapped his arms around her. "You don't have anything to be sorry about," he said.

Sarah snuggled in close. "Actually I do," she said. "I called you silly for worrying about Bryce. The thing is, you were right. He used almost exactly the words that you feared. I called you silly for worrying. I haven't been nearly understanding enough. I'm really sorry."

That actually got Chuck laughing. "I would have loved to see you shoot him down," he said.

Sarah pulled back to look at him. Here she was devastated on his behalf… and he was laughing. "You're taking this awfully well," she said. "Care to tell me why? Your best friend tried to betray you."

"He's not my best friend," Chuck protested. "Not even close. You are. Maybe it sounds odd. But I feel sorry for him. He had the most amazing woman in the world in his sights, and he let her slip away. I never want to do that. So I need a promise from you. If a single day ever goes by where you don't feel like the most loved woman in the world, tell me. Give me a chance to make it up to you."

Sarah virtually melted on the spot. He would pick now to get all romantic? They were already naked. He really didn't have it right. Bryce never had her in his sights. She didn't slip away. But this wasn't the time for that discussion. It really didn't matter. "I promise," she said. "I don't say it enough," she said. "But I love you just as much."

"I know," he said. "Can we please wait and talk about Bryce later?"

Sarah couldn't keep from laughing. "We can," she said. "I'm certainly not complaining. It's just that being the most loved woman in the world is kind of intimidating. I like it though. I just need to get used to it."

"Do you think that we could continue our nighttime of pre sex now?" Chuck asked hopefully.

"Absolutely," Sarah agreed. "I promise to let this go tonight. But the next time we see Bryce, can I throw a knife at him?"

"Absolutely."

x-x-x-x-x

After a few minutes, Sarah's phone rang. She picked up her phone and saw Casey's picture. "Yes," she answered. She was actually in too good of a mood to remember how angry she was with him.

Casey didn't waste any time getting to the point. "I'm sorry to interrupt the homecoming," he said. "But we have a bit of a situation here."

"Carina is in big trouble."

x-x-x-x-x


	7. Choices

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Choices**

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as Sarah got off the phone she yelled to Chuck. "Get dressed," she sighed. "Casey and Carina will be here in twenty minutes. Apparently we have problems."

Chuck was sitting on the side of the bed clearly frustrated. "Don't we always?" he asked with a sigh. "Come on Sarah. We haven't seen each other in days. You just got here. Can't they leave us alone for two freaking hours?"

"I'm sorry," said Sarah as she walked over to him. "I'm afraid that work comes first."

Chuck pulled Sarah onto his lap. "But we were just in the middle of something important," he protested.

Sarah didn't laugh. "Sweetie," she said. "I'm very sensitive to never giving you the idea that I'm turning you down. I hope you know that whenever you're in the mood, I'm in the mood. So if you want to do this in front of them, I'm more than happy to do my part. Just understand something. Casey will be embarrassed. Carina will take notes and critique our performance."

That got Chuck laughing. "Maybe she'll give us some pointers," he teased. "You always tell me that she is the expert at this."

Sarah was forced to agree. "Probably," she said. "I just want to understand something. In the past, you've always wanted me to have clothes on around other men unless it was required for a mission. Is this a new position that you're officially taking? Does it apply to all men? Or just to Casey?"

Chuck knew that he had just been called. He let go of Sarah and reached for his shirt. "Okay," he grumbled. "But this had better be good."

After they were dressed, Chuck again pulled Sarah onto his lap and began kissing her. Predictably, the necking quickly turned intense and their tongues were dancing. After a couple of moments Chuck snaked his hand up Sarah's shirt.

This time Sarah did laugh. She grabbed Chuck's hand to prevent it from reaching its target. "I'll never turn you down," she said. "Never. I'm all for this. Just remember my #1 rule in this area. Don't start something that you're not going to be able to finish. I owe you a huge thank you for making me feel better this morning when I was upset about my bad dream. I'll tell you what, as soon as they leave, I'll pay off. Does that work?"

Chuck really didn't see the humor. "It depends on long they stay," he said. "They haven't even gotten here yet and they've already worn out their welcome."

Sarah climbed off his lap and sat on the bed next to him. "Let's think about something else to calm us down," she suggested.

"Sorry," said Chuck with a laugh. "You just lit the booster rockets. There's nothing to do now except get ready for blast off."

Sarah shook her head. "You're not the only one with booster rockets," she said. "In fact, I'd say mine are more powerful than yours. So let's decide right now. We either go for it and Casey and Carina are going to see quite a show. Or we think of something not sexy."

Chuck moved a little so he wasn't pressed into her. "Okay," he sighed. "If you're going for 'not sexy', you might want to consider buttoning one more button on your shirt. But I have something that will kill the mood. Tell me about Bryce. He made a move on you today didn't he?"

Sarah looked at him sadly for a long moment. "I'm afraid so," she finally said. "I'm so sorry."

So now Chuck was grinning. "Why should you be sorry?" he teased. "I'm really hoping that you don't have to feel sorry. How far did he get anyway?"

Sarah shook her head. "I know that you're teasing," she said. "I don't want you to feel bad. But you should know that I'm probably never going to see the humor in the suggestion of me and another man. He didn't get very far at all. That's not why I'm sorry. I'm just sorry that I had to tell you that your best friend tried to betray you. If it's any consolation, I told him that if he ever touched me again, I would cut off his nuts and wrap them up for you as a Christmas present. I was really pissed. I almost did it."

Chuck's grin never faded. "For the record," he said. "I'm not worried about you and Bryce. I'm officially cured. I wasn't making any suggestion. But while we're on the topic, I'm looking forward to getting a Playstation III for Christmas. Or maybe a Wii. Bryce's nuts are way down on my list. Talk about a challenging gift to wrap."

"We'll see," Sarah said. "You know how I feel about video games."

Chuck was still grinning. "So," he teased. "Is Bryce the only one who wanted you to sleep with them on this trip? Two whole days and only one pass? I'd say that's a little below average for you. You must have worn the bra the whole time, huh? Didn't you wear makeup?"

Finally Sarah was able to return his grin. "Well a couple of guys at the airport were making eye contact," she said. "And there was the king of course. But he just asked. He didn't grab me or anything."

"Great," Chuck replied with a sarcastic laugh. "How polite. Such a civil way to ask a married woman to sleep with you. He must have attended finishing school. It almost makes me want to send him a thank you note."

Sarah's grin turned sad. "He was very nice to me," she said. "He got rid of Bryce for me and cut his trip short because he knew how much I missed you. He could have gotten the CIA to put a lot of pressure on me to sleep with him if he had wanted to. Imagine Graham if he realized I could have gotten them their base. It would have been a tense, ugly scene. They would have said anything, threatened you. But the king didn't do that. He wants us to come to Qatar and meet him."

Chuck shook his head. "Here's a news flash for you," he said. "I'm not sure that they covered this in CIA seduction training but most men are really nice to beautiful women when they hope to get in their pants."

That did get a little bit of Sarah's smile back. "It was covered," she said. "Trust me. It was covered over and over and over. That was the whole point."

"So, are we going to Qatar?"

Sarah considered the question. "I don't think so," she finally said. "For one thing, I can't see the CIA letting the Intersect go to Qatar. Maybe someday when we're rid of it we could think about it. But I really can't see it happening. I'd like to be friends with him. I think that's what he would like too. But I'm not willing to put unpleasant thoughts in your head. The king wants in my pants. I'm pretty sure that you don't want him there. I really don't see you two getting along. For the record, I wouldn't like you having a female friend who had expressed a romantic interest."

"No, you're right," Chuck said as he nodded his head in agreement. "Those pants are just perfect as they are. I do think you may be underestimating me a little. I'm not jealous. You can be friends with him. You need more friends. I'll even go to Qatar."

Sarah had to blink pretty quickly to keep the tears away. "I seem to underestimate you a lot," she finally said. "I have to find a way to stop." She needed to change the subject or break down. "I would like to take you to see my apartment in Washington though," she said. "I was just thinking about that today when I was there. Would you like that?"

"Would you be working or could we spend some fun time together?"

That got Sarah grinning again. "With your ability to flash on some random bad guy every ten minutes or so, you never know," she teased. "There are some work related things we could do. You've never met Graham or Beckman in person. But hopefully we could just go and have some fun for a week or so. We could really use the rest. I'd love to show you around Washington. Would you like that?"

"Have you and Bryce ever, you know, there?"

Sarah looked at him. He had just said that he wasn't jealous of Bryce. Okay. But he was always going to be a sensitive subject. There wasn't anything wrong with that. But how to answer his question? A week ago, she would have changed the subject. But now, he was strong enough to handle the truth. "Of course," she said. "Bryce and I were together for two years. We stayed there whenever we had to go to Washington. But please don't let that bother you. Come with me and help me replace those memories with some good ones with you. Would you? I'd really love that. It would give me a chance to let you know me better. You're always looking for ways to do that. I lived in that apartment off and on for over five years. I can't wait to be there with the love of my life. I may have had sex there but I've never made love. Please help me fix that."

"I'd love that," Chuck said, his face turning into a full-fledged grin. "You know that anyplace that you are is my favorite place to be."

"That's sweet."

"You're really excited about this, aren't you?" Chuck asked.

Sarah nodded. "I really am," she said. "I can't believe that I didn't think of it sooner."

"Then let's go as soon as we can."

"Great, I'll make the arrangements."

"That reminds me," Chuck said. "Carina and I are messing with Casey over last night. Just so you know. If you could act a little jealous, that would be so great."

"Wow," said Sarah thoughtfully. "I'm not sure that is such a good idea. This is a serious mission. We need Casey's head in the game."

"Please," Chuck pleaded. "It's just fun. He so has it coming."

"We'll see."

x-x-x-x-x

Just then there was a knock at the door. Chuck opened the door and let Casey and Carina into the apartment. Sarah walked up to Casey and kicked him directly in the left shin. Casey hopped around the room in agony.

Chuck grinned. "I thought we needed Casey's head in the game," he teased.

Casey finally stopped hopping, coming to rest on the couch. "Son of a bitch," he yelled as he rubbed his bruised shin. "Damn that hurt. What the hell was that for?"

Sarah's eyes were like lasers, boring holes through him. "Chuck's right," she growled. "We need your head in the game. That was for letting our asset go off without backup with a drug addict. Be very grateful. You're getting off easy. The next time you pull such a bone head play, I'm going to kick you two feet higher. Instead of rubbing your sore shin for a couple of minutes you'll be in the bathroom puking your guts out. Do we understand each other?"

Casey was smart enough to not try any protest. "Yes, ma'am," he said softly, still rubbing his leg. "Thank you, ma'am."

Carina stepped up to Sarah and looked at her feet. "Please don't kick me," she said softly.

Instead of a kick, Sarah threw her arms around Carina's neck and hugged her tightly. "That's your punishment," she said. "Some honest affection would be much more effective than a kick. Thank you for taking care of my husband while I was gone."

The red that was already well into Carina's face said plainly that Sarah was right.

Finally, Casey let her off the hook. "If we're done with the homecoming," he growled. "Can we please get some work done? We're in trouble here."

Sarah instantly turned back into the professional spy. "What's the issue?" she asked.

Casey shook his head in frustration. "Scott Wilson wants Carina to attend a pool party tomorrow," he said with a sigh. "She is supposed to meet him at the hotel with her bathing suit. Then he will take her to the 'party.' It sounds more like a Roman orgy deal to me."

Chuck had been standing just listening. "What's the problem?" he asked. "Why don't we just tail her to the party? It would be just like Sarah and me at Matlin's party,"

Casey turned to Chuck. "Well genius," he said. "Have you ever seen Carina's bathing suit? There's not much room to hide a wire. And even that assumes that she keeps it on all night. Since her cover is a professional escort, my guess is that would be a really bad assumption. Even if she could, getting into the water is really hard on the electronics. That means that she would totally be on her own. She couldn't even carry a weapon. She would be totally defenseless. We can't risk that."

"I don't think that I have ever seen Carina's bathing suit," Chuck said trying to look thoughtful. "I think that I have seen her birthday suit. Does that count?"

Sarah was trying to be professional, but she couldn't keep in the wet laugh. "Where is the party being held?" she finally asked. "Can we get there and plant wires before the party starts?"

"We don't know where," Carina sighed. "I was instructed to meet Scott Wilson at the hotel with my bikini on under my clothes. The way they were talking, I'm thinking that this is a semi regular thing for the high roller givers. Get them drunk and laid, that sort of thing. It would be a great chance to find out what they're up to and how they're getting so much money."

Chuck shook his head. "We have to figure something else out," he said. "This is too dangerous. We can't let Carina do that. Even if she is wearing a wire, she's going to be expected to sleep with some guys. It's not worth that. Maybe we should abort."

Carina flashed a look. "Come on Chuck," she said. "Okay, I know that you mean well. I do. But don't tell me how far I'm willing to go to do my job. That's not your right. It's tying my hands. I'm not your wife. This is what I've been trained to do. And I think that I should do it. It offends me that you would presume to judge me. If I have to screw every guy in there to stop these terrorists, I'm going to do it. That's my duty. You have no right to tell me not to."

Chuck quickly backpedaled. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to insult you. Please forgive me if I insulted you. I'm not judging you other than admiring you like crazy. More than that, you're my friend. I love you. I just don't want to see you make that kind of sacrifice. It's not worth it."

Carina shot a look at Sarah as she stepped up and hugged him. "Some genuine affection," she teased. "Right back at you." She turned her attention back to Chuck. "It's okay," she said. "It's really sweet that you're looking out for me. But I'm a big girl. I know that that you don't think that it's worth it. But I do. Chuck, I know what you're trying to say. I love you too."

Sarah finally pulled Carina away. "But come on," she said firmly. "You can't go in there blind without backup and for no way for us to hear if you get into trouble. That's not a sacrifice, that's foolish."

Suddenly Chuck had the answer. "I've got it," he said. "I know who knows where that party is… Angel. I bet she's been there before."

The three spies suddenly smiling said that Chuck had just hit a home run. "Let's have her picked up," Casey said. "Maybe we can intimidate her into giving something up."

Carina shook her head. "That would never work," she said. "You don't know these people like I do. They hate police. She would rot in jail before she would rat out anyone."

Sarah smiled at her husband. "Chuck can talk to her," she said. "He has a relationship with her. A couple more dates and she'll listen to him. It's worth a shot."

Chuck looked at his wife's grin. "Can we please stop calling this a date?" he protested. "It's an assignment… one I don't want."

Casey looked at Chuck. "Time to man up, Bartowski," he said. "Put on the charm."

Chuck looked at Sarah. "I really don't want to do this," he said.

Sarah nodded. "I know," she said. "This is what needs to be done."

"Can we offer her some help?" Chuck asked softly. "I mean, she's dead inside of a year the way she's going now, right?"

"At best," Carina said. "If she cooperates, I can pull some strings and get her in the top rehab center in the world. But she would have to want to be helped. Otherwise it's a waste of time."

"I'll talk to her," Chuck said with a sigh. "It's worth a shot. What do we have to lose?"

"Okay," said Casey. "Chuck will call Angel first thing in the morning and take her to breakfast. He'll bring her here and Chuck and Sarah can offer the deal to her. A spot in the top rehab program in exchange for the location of the party. But if she doesn't go for it, we'll have no choice but to bust her. We can't have her around to tip someone off after we blow our cover with her. We'll decide on how to proceed with the party after we find out what Angel is willing to tell us."

"Sounds good," Sarah said as she guided Casey and Carina to the door.

"We'll talk tomorrow."

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as Casey and Carina had left, Sarah turned to Chuck. "Do you want to talk about this?" she asked.

Chuck spent a moment trying to figure out her mood. "Oh please," he finally said in a frustrated voice. "Don't tell me that you're jealous of Angel."

Sarah shook her head. "I'm not jealous," she insisted. "Okay, maybe a little. But I'm going to put it aside. I just think that you are the most amazing man. Why do you care so much for this girl that you don't even know?"

Chuck took a long moment to consider his answer. It was important that he said this right. "She's a person," he finally said slowly. "I know that most of the people that you deal with are scum. I get that. But sometimes people just get caught up in things. They're good people, they just make bad choices. That's what I think about Angel. She's basically a good person. She's just made some bad choices. If I can help her, I want to. I'm not so naïve to think that I can help her if she doesn't want to be helped. And I know that I can't save everyone. But someday I might make a bad choice. One of our kids might make a bad choice someday. Wouldn't you want someone to help them?"

Sarah shook her head. If she had needed one, it was today's reminder of the nicest man in the world. "How could Jill have possibly ever let you go?" she asked.

"It's a mystery," Chuck teased with a grin. "I guess she just made a bad choice."

That got Sarah laughing. "Too bad, I don't feel like helping her," she said. "Are you ready for me to thank you properly now?"

Chuck looked at her like she had grown a third eye. "Was that a trick question?" he asked as he started to unbutton her shirt.

Sarah grabbed his hand and stopped him. "Why don't you sit down and let me do this?" she asked. "The show is thank you, phase one."

"I've got this one."

x-x-x-x-x


	8. Romance

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Romance**

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah was about half way through her erotic strip tease when her phone began to ring.

Chuck couldn't believe it. "This is a nightmare," he said as he shook his head in disgust. "A freaking nightmare. Doesn't anyone here understand the concept of a honeymoon?"

Sarah looked at the phone and saw Carina's face. She answered the call angrily and put it on speaker. "You do realize that we've been married for twelve days," she growled. "We've been together for an hour after I've been gone for two days. Carina, this had better fucking be good."

"Sorry," Carina said. "Casey and I were talking about our plans for tomorrow. We think that we have a better idea."

Sarah stared at the phone in disgust. She didn't sound even a little bit sorry. "We're listening," she said flatly.

"We're concerned that Angel won't cooperate," Carina said. "I mean, why would she? She hardly knows Chuck. She hates law enforcement. And if she ever finds out that I am a DEA agent, forget it. Her instincts are going to tell her to just not say anything."

Sarah didn't know where this was going. "I agree with that," she said. "She probably won't help us. We always knew that it was a long shot. But what choice do we have?"

"We were thinking," Casey said. "If we could have Romeo here romance her for a few days, he might be able to get closer to her. Maybe he can talk her into cooperating. I'm sure she knows a lot about what's going on there. If she has a relationship with Chuck, he might be able to get her to at least listen to us with an open mind."

"But I don't understand," Sarah said in a confused tone. "How is that going to help Carina at the party tomorrow?"

"It won't," Carina answered. "I'll have to cancel for tomorrow. I'm pretty sure that they have these parties every week anyway. It might be a little awkward but I'll flirt my way out of it. If we could get Angel's help, it would go a long way towards me learning something when I do get there. That will give Chuck a week to work on romancing her."

"Wait a minute," Chuck protested. "Who said anything about romancing? I don't want to romance Angel. I'm supposed to be on my honeymoon."

"You don't have to romance her," Sarah said with a short laugh. "Just make friends with her."

"But I don't know what to do" Chuck said. "I suck at this."

Sarah's smile turned a little sad. "I really wish that was true," she said. "But it's not. I use flirting. Carina uses sex. You use being the nicest man in the world. It's every bit as effective. Don't worry. You'll be wearing a wire and an earpiece just like the party the other night. I'll be tailing you the whole time. I'll be listening to you and I'll be able to talk you through anything that might happen."

Somehow, that wasn't consoling. "You'll be listening to me trying to get close to another woman?" Chuck asked sarcastically. "That shouldn't add any pressure. Why would you be tailing me? I was alone with Angel all night."

Sarah answered Chuck's question. But she was definitely talking into the phone. "Yeah, I know," she said with a definite edge. 'I guess that the team needs one agent with some common sense. Maybe that's why I'm the missing link. I'm the only one with a brain."

Chuck was still more than a little apprehensive. "You know that I'll have to take the Porsche?" he asked timidly. "Right? Angel loves the car."

"Yes," Sarah replied coolly. "Again with the common sense thing."

"But what will you drive?" Chuck asked. "If I have the Porsche?"

Carina stepped in. "She can take my car," she said.

"We'll come over in the morning," Casey said. "We'll drop off Carina's car and the surveillance equipment. I'll stay with Carina and monitor her as she meets with Scott Wilson. Sarah, you'll be on Chuck. Does that sound okay?"

Chuck needed to lighten things up a bit. "Well I like the idea of Sarah being on Chuck," he teased with a grin. "It's about time someone got into the spirit of this honeymoon thing. I'm pretty sure that's not the way you meant it though."

Sarah couldn't help it. Somehow, someway, he could always make her laugh. "Grow up," she said through her giggling as she slapped Chuck playfully on the arm.

Casey had heard enough of their banter. "We'll see you tomorrow," he said in disgust.

"Guys," Sarah said firmly just before she disconnected the call. "Let's fully understand each other. If I get another call tonight, one or both of you had better be dead."

As soon as Sarah put away her phone, she turned to Chuck. "Are you okay with this?" she asked.

"Not really," Chuck said hesitantly. "I don't think we have a choice. Are there going to be any ground rules? I mean, I don't want to make you jealous."

Sarah's smile turned mischievous. "It's usually you in this situation," she said. "What would make you jealous?"

Chuck looked at her. "I would be jealous just having this conversation," he admitted. "Just talking about you flirting with another guy makes me jealous."

"Me too," Sarah admitted. "I'm jealous thinking about it too. I guess that it's only fair that I put it aside after all of the times that I've demanded that of you. I think that we both understand the rules that you've given me. The mission and our safety come first but try and minimize any physical stuff and no sex, right? I would expect you to follow those same rules."

Suddenly, Chuck was gloating. "Yeah," he said gleefully. "That's right, isn't it? The shoe is on the other foot. It'll be your turn to be jealous."

Sarah's smile was sly. "Okay," she said. "And it'll be your turn to try and get close to someone while the love of your life is listening to you and praying to god that they understand."

That got them both laughing. "Touché," Chuck said. After a moment he cupped Sarah's face and kissed her tenderly. "Since the shoe is on the other foot, I'll do for you what I hope you would do for me. I'll make sure that you know that no matter what happens, no matter what words you hear, that you're the most loved person in the world. I would never even think of having any romantic feelings for anybody but you."

Sarah stopped laughing. "That would help," she said. "And I'll do what I would expect from you. I'll support your mission and if I get insanely jealous, and I probably will, I'll not hold anything against you. I'll wait until the mission is over and we're alone to talk about it."

"And in that same spirit," Chuck replied with a snicker. "I'll make that night in bed all about you. I'll be your virtual love slave, just to make it up to you. Your wish will be my command."

That got Sarah laughing again. "Nice try bub," she said as she playfully slapped Chuck's shoulder. "I'm thinking that you just figured out that you're going to be on the receiving side of that bargain way more often than I am. But, okay. You've got a deal."

Chuck was gloating again. "Pretty clever," he bragged. "Don't you think? I'm really starting to get into this genius of the team thing."

Sarah stepped up and kissed him. "Maybe, genius," she said. "But being so brilliant, I would have thought that you had already figured this out. To me, your wish has been my command ever since you said 'I do.' But just so we understand each other, if you mess up my car, your commands are going to be issued from out on the couch."

"I'm not sure what's making you more jealous," Chuck said nervously. "Me with another girl or another girl enjoying your car."

Sarah smiled the smile of someone who knew that she was totally in control. "It's a tossup," she said. "Are you ready for me to resume the show?"

Chuck just grinned.

"Resume away."

x-x-x-x-x

Angel was waiting on the sidewalk when Chuck pulled up in the Porsche. She was wearing a pair of cut off blue jean shorts and a tank top. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail. Before Angel had always looked sexy but in sort of an overt, almost slutty, way. Today, she could only be described as cute. It was very appealing. She looked like the classic girl next door.

"Hi Angel," Chuck said with a smile as she hopped in the car. "It's really nice to see you."

"Charles," Angel said apprehensively. "What's going on? I got a call from the agency saying that you wanted me for the whole day. They told me to dress for a lot of walking."

"Yeah," Chuck said. "You're dressed great."

"But what's going on?" Angel asked, this time a little more forcefully. "This is a little weird."

Chuck grinned at her. "It's not a little weird," he protested. "Actually, it's very weird. But I had a really good time last night."

"I had a good time too," Angel said cautiously. "But you do know that I'm a pro, right? Why don't you take me to a nice hotel and I'll give you your money's worth?"

Chuck knew that he had to set some boundaries. The last thing he needed was for Sarah to hear Angel trying to get him in bed every five minutes. "Come on," he said. "Please stop asking that. I would think that you should know by now that I'm not going to pay you for sex. Of course, I know that you're a pro. You want to know what's going on?"

Angel nodded.

"Okay," Chuck said. "Here's the deal, straight up. I like you. I like you a lot. But I know that you're a pro. You would never just go on a date with me. And, while I have money, I don't want to pay for sex. So I thought I would hire you to go on a few dates and maybe we can get to know each other better. Maybe someday, you'll want to go out without being on the clock. That's when we can have a discussion about sex." After all, that was the truth. It just wasn't all of the truth.

"Charles," Angel said hesitantly. "I like you. I had fun yesterday. But this is my life. I really don't see that happening."

Chuck flashed his easy going smile. "If it never happens, I'm okay with that," he said. "It's going to be totally your call. I just have to know. Let's just have some fun for a few days and see what happens. Worst case, you'll have made some money, and I won't have to wonder what might have been. Okay?"

Angel started laughing. "Okay," she said. "It's weird, but okay. Where are we going anyway?"

"It's a surprise," Chuck said. "Why don't you sit back and enjoy the ride?"

"I do love this car," Angel admitted with a sigh. "Can't we just spend the day driving around?"

Chuck's grin turned sly. "Maybe some other time," he said.

"But I have plans for today."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah was talking to Casey on the phone while she was tailing Chuck. "Was Carina able to get out of the party?" she asked.

Casey was clearly in a good mood. "No problem," he said with a laugh. "She has this Scott Wilson dude wrapped around her little finger."

Sarah started laughing. "I'm pretty sure that's not where he would want to be wrapped," she said.

Casey was forced to agree. "You're probably right," he said. "Anyway, she is set up for the party next week. How is your boy doing?"

Sarah paused to consider how to answer. "He's doing fine," she said with a sigh.

"How are you doing?"

Sarah was surprised. Normally, Casey would find an opportunity to make a snarky comment at her expense. He actually sounded concerned. "It's sort of rough having to listen to him being this charming to another woman," she admitted. "I didn't think it would bother me this much."

"Carina and I are almost done for the day," Casey said. "I can come and relieve you if you want."

So now it was official. He really was concerned. "That's okay," Sarah said. "It's hard but it's sort of like a train wreck."

"I wouldn't be able to tear myself away from this anyway."

x-x-x-x-x

"Disneyland?" Angel asked with the amazement obvious in her voice. "You're taking me to Disneyland? Really?"

"Why not," said Chuck with an ear to ear grin. "Have you ever been here before?"

"No," said Angel. "Not too many guys take hookers to Disneyland."

"Really?" Chuck teased as he led them to Space Mountain. "I thought that is where they got the idea for Fantasyland. And I was so looking forward to checking it out."

Angel's face showed her concern as they were standing in the line. "So," she said. "What kind of ride is this Space Mountain anyway?"

"No worries," Chuck explained. "It's just a simulation of being in outer space. You get to see all of the stars. It's sort of a sightseeing thing."

Of course Angel was laughing as they got off the ride. "You son of a bitch," she said. "Very funny. That's the last time I trust you on a ride."

Chuck was struggling to speak from laughing. "Sorry," he said. "I just had to. It was the devil. I loved hearing you scream like a ten year old. I promise that was the scariest ride here. Everything else is pretty tame."

"Okay," Angel answered cautiously. "What's next?"

"Next is Star Tours," Chuck said. "Don't worry at all about this ride."

"You just sit in a theater and watch a movie."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah was sitting in the car in the Disneyland parking lot feeling sorry for herself when she suddenly hear a knock at the window. When she turned to see what it was, she saw Carina getting into the car.

"What are you doing here?" Sarah asked.

"Casey dropped me off," Carina said with a sad smile. "I thought that you might want some company. This must be sort of hard for you to have to listen to all day. How are you holding up?"

"This is so hard," Sarah said softly. "I never understood why Chuck would act so off whenever I had to get close to some mark. Didn't he understand that I was just acting? It used to piss me off. How could he possibly doubt my love for him? Now I understand what he was feeling. It really sucks."

"I know," Carina said as she reached out and grabbed Sarah's arm. "We've been trained to ignore those feelings. Sometimes it makes me feel like I'm not really a person. But it's impossible to ignore what you feel for Chuck. That's what makes what you guys have so special. I know it's hard but I've had a lot of time to talk to Chuck. Trust me; you have nothing to worry about. He loves you more than anything I can imagine. This must be killing him as well. I'm actually surprised that he is doing this well."

"I know," Sarah said sadly. "He's going well because he would do anything that I asked him to. He understands how important it is to our mission and your safety."

"But it's still so hard."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Angel explored Disneyland the whole day. Chuck's enthusiasm was very infectious. Angel spent most of the day either listening to Chuck describe the next activity or laughing about what they just done. As they were walking down Main Street USA, Chuck offered his hand. He was pleasantly surprised when Angel cautiously took it. From that point on, Chuck made a point of taking her hand whenever they walked. They looked like a couple of teenagers swinging their arms together as they walked from attraction to attraction. The only mar on the day was the frequent breaks that Angel would take. She never said so, but it was obvious that she was using the excuse to do some coke. During one of those breaks, Chuck contacted Sarah.

"Hi, Sarah," Chuck said into his wire. "Are you there? I'm alone for a couple of minutes."

"I'm here," was Sarah's almost immediate response. "Is anything wrong?"

"No," Chuck quickly said. "Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to hear your voice. I'm just worried about you. How are you doing?"

Sarah had to blink pretty quickly to keep her composure. He was looking out for her. How cute was that? But he was also on an important assignment. "Chuck, don't worry about me," she said a little more firmly than she intended. "You need to concentrate on your mission. We'll talk tonight. You're really doing great."

"I just want to tell you that I love you."

"I know," said Sarah softly. "I'm sorry if I sounded harsh. But save that for tonight. Right now, concentrate on the mission. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Chuck softly.

"I understand."

x-x-x-x-x

At the end of a very long day at Disneyland, Chuck drove Angel home. She struggled to stay awake during the drive. As they pulled up to her building, Chuck turned to her. "I hope that you had a good time," he said with a grin.

Angel turned her tired smile towards him. "I'm pretty sure that I did," she said. "I'm so tired right now that I really don't remember. I'm sorry that I wore down. I'm not used to this much walking."

"You did great," Chuck said. "It takes a few times to get your Disney legs. You rode Space Mountain five times. That makes you an ace. Are you up for tomorrow?"

Angel forced herself alert and flashed a broader smile. "Sure," she said. "What are we going to do tomorrow?"

Chuck shook his head. "That information is need to know only," he said with a mischievous grin. "You'll find out tomorrow. It won't be as physical. Dress the same as today but bring your swimsuit and a towel."

"Are you sure that you don't want to come up and get your money's worth?" Angel said as she was ready to close the car door.

"We've been all through this," Chuck said. "Trust me, Angel. I got my money's worth."

"I had a really good time."

x-x-x-x-x

When Chuck walked into the apartment, Sarah was waiting for him.

"Are you okay?" Chuck asked as he put his arms around her and held her tight. "I was worried about you. I hope that wasn't hard on you."

"It was way worse that I had hoped," Sarah admitted with a sigh. "Watching that girl fall for you is hard. You know the worst part? You've never taken me to Disneyland. That's something I would have loved for you to do with me. That's a memory that she got first."

"I'm sorry," Chuck said. "I didn't think of you as an amusement park type of chick."

At least that got Sarah smiling. "I'm not," she said. "That's what makes being jealous about it so stupid."

"It's not stupid at all," Chuck protested. "In fact, wanting memories with me is nice. I never want to make you feel bad. You're the most loved woman in the world."

"I know," Sarah said softly. "Chuck, I've been so stupid. I always got so mad at you for being jealous of me on missions. Now I get it."

Now Chuck was grinning. "I'll tell you what," he said. "On our way back home from Washington, let's stop at Disney World for a few days. I've never been there either and it'll be a first for both of us. We'll make some memories that will be just ours. Would you like that?"

"I would love that," Sarah said with a smile. "Right now, I just want you to hold me for a while."

"There's nothing I'd like better," Chuck said. "I know that you wanted me to concentrate earlier. But right now I would like to take a few minutes to make sure that I remind you that you're the most loved woman in the whole world. Would that be okay?"

Now Sarah was grinning to match his. "It's more than okay," she said. "It's mandatory. In a few minutes we'll talk about that virtual love slave promise that you made last night."

"Yes, ma'am," Chuck said. "Whenever you're ready."

"Your wish is my command."

x-x-x-x-x


	9. Fishing

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Fishing**

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah was already shaking her head before Chuck was finished telling her his plans for the day with Angel. "Oh hell no," she said firmly. "There's no way that's happening."

Chuck was a little taken aback at the intensity of her protest. "Why not?" he asked defensively.

Sarah didn't back down an inch. "There's no way for me to tail you," she said. "Come on, Chuck. We've talked about this. I'm not letting you be alone with this cocaine addict without backup. It's not safe."

Casey and Carina were on the phone in conference mode. Both were grinning at each other over Sarah's protectiveness. "It is actually a pretty controlled environment," Casey finally said. "I mean, where could they go?"

Of course Casey had no way to see Sarah shaking her head. But he could definitely hear her tone. "No way," she snapped. "Not without backup. Do you remember where I'm kicking you next time? You're very close to buying a ticket for that ride."

That left Carina to try and calm Sarah down. "How about this idea?" she asked. "I'm free for the day. Casey and I will go with them. It would give Chuck a chance to introduce us to her. We could disappear together when Chuck needs some private time to complete his assignment."

Sarah still wasn't convinced. "I don't know," she said. "What about my car? This sounds messy. I don't want you messing up my car."

"You mean OUR car?" Chuck gently corrected. "I'll take Carina's car. God forbid, I would mess up the Porsche. I may never have sex again."

Sarah had just been called. After all, it was her that insisted that Chuck treat the car as theirs. So she was a little embarrassed. She also clearly wasn't backing down.

Chuck looked at his wife's face. "Let me put you on hold," he said. "I want to talk to Sarah for a second." As soon as he had hit the mute button he turned to her. "Talk to me," he said. "We really couldn't come up with a situation that would be more controlled than this. What is the real issue here?"

Sarah looked at the floor for a long moment. He wasn't going to let her get away with not telling him the truth. "I'll be honest," she finally sighed. "I don't want you to be alone with her all day when I can't hear what's going on. I'll be sitting here going crazy, assuming the worst."

At least this was a feeling that Chuck understood. He put his finger under Sarah's chin and forced her to look at him. "I understand," he said. "I do. And it's not going to do much good for me to tell you that you have nothing to worry about, is it? You already know that."

Well, there was one good thing about this conversation. Chuck must be getting more comfortable in their relationship. Anyone else with a finger on her chin like this forcing her to look up would have had to pick that finger up off the ground and take it to the hospital to be reattached. In spite of her mood, that struck her as funny and the smile appeared. Sarah nodded in agreement.

"Why don't you go and spend the day with Ellie?" Chuck suggested. "That will keep you from going crazy. She has the whole day off and wanted you to come over, remember?"

Sarah nodded again.

"Don't worry about a thing," Chuck said. "Carina will have an eye on me all day. I'm pretty sure that if I hit my head and did anything that you wouldn't approve of she'll let me know."

Sarah was forced to agree. Now the smile was natural. "That's true," she said. "She would probably kick you harder than I would. After all, she doesn't have anything to lose by putting you out of commission for a night."

Now they were kissing. "Please," Chuck said between kisses. "Please come home a little sober. You and Ellie are getting a rep. Why don't you go shopping, go to the mall, or something else girly?"

Naturally, Chuck taking the lead in anything physical was an instant turn-on. Sarah suddenly wasn't interested in further debate. "Okay" she said as she kissed him again.

The necking quickly got more intense. Chuck began to snake his hand up her shirt.

For a long moment, Sarah just melted into the steamy second base action. Of course, he could feel for himself what that was doing to her. "Sweetie," she whispered in his ear. "I'm all for this. But remember that Casey and Carina are on hold? Maybe we should put this on hold for a second while we get rid of them."

Chuck shook his head. "Those two are starting to grate on my last nerve," he sighed. "Doesn't anybody here get the concept of a honeymoon? Hurry and get rid of them. I want to remind you how the most loved woman in the world is treated."

Sarah unmuted the phone with a stab of her finger. "Meet him there at noon," she said, ending the call without waiting for a response. After tossing the phone on the table she turned to Chuck with a grin.

"Where were we?"

x-x-x-x-x

Angel was waiting on the sidewalk for Chuck to pick her up. Her eyes lit up as she recognized him drive up. She was dressed much like yesterday with a tank top and shorts. She had a bag that clearly contained the suit and towel he had suggested. She quickly climbed into the car. "Where's your car?" she asked.

That got Chuck grinning. At least he was used to being with girls who loved the Porsche. "Don't worry," he said. "Nothing's wrong with the Porsche. We'll take it again tomorrow. I just thought that this car would be better suited for what we're doing today."

"And what might that be?" Angel asked with a sly smile.

Chuck shook his head. "Come on," he said with a huge grin.

"You should know by now that I love surprises."

x-x-x-x-x

Angel was shaking her head with her hands on her hips as they stood on the dock. "Deep sea fishing?" she asked incredulously. "Are you crazy? Really? Deep sea fishing? I've never been fishing in my life. I wouldn't know what to do."

Chuck was laughing too hard to answer right away. "Don't worry about a thing," he finally said. "There is a mate that does all of the work. He bates your hook and takes the fish off. All you have to do is reel them in."

"Deep sea fishing," Angel muttered, more to herself than Chuck. "And I thought that Disneyland was weird."

Chuck was finally able to stop laughing. "Come on, Angel," he said. "You had a good time yesterday, didn't you? You'll have a good time today. I promise. How about a little trust here? I know how much you love seafood. If we catch anything, I'll cook you a fresh seafood dinner tonight. Would you like that?"

Angel shrugged her shoulders. "Okay," she said hesitantly. "I guess that I trust you. I'll try anything once. I did have fun yesterday."

Just then Casey and Carina walked up. Chuck did the introductions. "Angel, these are my friends Casey and Carina," he said. "They are going fishing with us."

Carina was actually looking forward to this. So her smile was relaxed and natural. "Hi, Angel," she said. "It's nice to meet you."

Angel's eyes lit up as she looked at Casey. "Hey," she said. "I recognize you from the club. You came with Charles."

Carina narrowed her eyes and glared at Casey. "Club?" she asked with a growl. "This again? We've talked about this."

Angel looked at them with concern. "Oh my goodness," she said. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

Chuck playfully bumped her shoulder with his. "Don't worry," he said. "She's just teasing you. I'm afraid you need to get used to it. She's like that."

Angel looked anxiously from face to face. Suddenly they all broke out laughing. "Very funny," she said in relief.

Chuck and Casey carried their cooler on the boat. Waiting for them was the captain, Bob and the mate, Jim.

"Welcome aboard," Captain Bob said as he started the engines. "Are you ready for some fun?"

The boat was a standard thirty five foot fishing model. It had a small cabin and a lower deck which had a couple of cots and a head. The back of the boat was open and had a bench seat on either side. Above the cabin was the captain's cockpit where he steered the boat.

Once they were under way, Casey turned to the mate. "What are we fishing for?" he asked.

That got the mate laughing. "There's an old saying," he said. "You fish for whatever will bite your hook. There's really no telling what we might catch. Hopefully, we hook on to a Yellow Fin Tuna or three. That's the main game fish around these parts."

"How big are they?" Chuck asked.

The mate held his hands far apart. "Anywhere from sixty to one hundred fifty pounds," he said. "Trust me; once you're wrestled one of those babies for an hour or so, you're glad that it's in the boat. Sit back and enjoy the ride. We're going to be traveling for about an hour to get to deep enough water."

Angel looked at him in alarm. "How far out are we going?" she asked.

The mate grinned at the alarm in her face. "About twenty miles," he replied. "Don't worry about anything. It's a calm day and this boat is very seaworthy. We're perfectly safe."

Chuck and Angel sat on one of the bench seats. Casey and Carina sat on the opposite side and as far away as possible to give them some privacy.

Chuck turned to Angel. "This is my favorite part," he said. "Looking at the city from out here makes it entirely different."

Angel had to admit, the L.A. skyline was very impressive from the water. "It is beautiful," she agreed.

As the captain cleared the harbor area he accelerated the boat to full speed. Even though it was a nice sunny day, the breeze coming across the water was cool. Chuck noticed that Angel was shivering. "Are you cold?" he asked. "Let's go into the cabin."

Angel shook her head. "It's okay," she said. "I love this view too much."

Chuck put his arm around Angel and pulled her him. "Come here," he said. She gratefully snuggled into Chuck, taking comfort from the heat of his body.

Carina, noticing the interaction, turned to Casey. "It is a little chilly," she said hopefully.

Casey's grin said that he was very proud of himself. "Don't worry," he said as he triumphantly reached into his bag. "I'll take care of you. I planned for this. I brought you a sweatshirt."

Carina just shook her head. Okay, so romance wasn't his thing. But come on. "Thanks a lot," she said under her breath, trying to keep the sarcasm from showing as she pulled on the sweatshirt. "This really sucks."

"Sarah is the luckiest person I know."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah knocked on Ellie's door as she opened it slowly. "Hello?" she called cautiously as she entered the room.

Naturally, Ellie would greet her with a huge hug. That was predictable. Truth be told, Sarah was starting to look forward to it. So her return hug was relaxed and natural. "Sarah," Ellie said excitedly. "I'm so glad that you came over. I've missed you."

"And I've missed you," Sarah said. "I'm so glad that you called."

Ellie was grinning. "How long do I have you for?" she asked. "What do you want to do?"

"Chuck went deep sea fishing with Casey," Sarah explained. "I don't think he'll be home until later tonight. I'm up for anything."

Ellie went into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. "Great," she said. "How about if we have a glass of wine and talk for a while. Then we'll go out to dinner and maybe have a drink or two at a club. Does that sound okay?"

Sarah looked at the glass of wine that Ellie had just handed her. She sort of promised Chuck that she would come home a little sober. Given the gleam in her new sister's eyes, that wasn't looking too promising. Hopefully he'd understand. "That sounds great," she said with a laugh as she took a sip of her wine. "I'm all yours tonight. I'll just follow your lead."

x-x-x-x-x

Before they actually began fishing, Angel and Carina went into the cabin and changed into their bikinis. The mate showed them how to use the fishing equipment but it was very easy. Naturally, as luck would have it, Angel was the first to catch a fish. Even though it was a relatively small sea bass, Angel couldn't have been more excited if she had caught a whale. She was jumping up and down like a school girl. Chuck and the gang could hardly control themselves from laughing so hard.

As soon as the mate had taken the fish off the hook, Angel threw her arms around Chuck's neck. "Thank you," she said excitedly. "I've never had a better time in my life."

Chuck was still laughing. "You're welcome," he said as he rubbed Angel's back. "But you can't stop now. We need enough to feed the four of us tonight. That one fish isn't going to cut it."

Actually the fishing was going a little slowly. They had all caught several sea bass. A couple of pretty good sized… so they would be eating tonight. Casey hooked a huge tuna but it got away. Chuck was surprised how well Angel fit in with the group… except that she excused herself several times during the day for a bathroom / coke break. It was a nice, relaxed, fun time.

Just as they were about ready to head in for the day, Angel let out a yell. "Holly cow," she exclaimed excitedly. "I have something big."

The mate took one look. He was the only one who knew what he was looking for. "It's a tuna," he said. "It looks like a nice one. Keep fighting it. Don't let it get away."

After fighting for a while, Angel started to tire. She asked Chuck to take over for her.

The mate shook his head firmly. "Sorry," he said. "It's the code of the sea. This is you against him. It's not fair to the fish for anyone to help you. He's fighting for his life and if he wins, he gets to live. That's how it works."

"Come on, Angel," Chuck shouted. "Fight. Don't let that fish beat you. Show him what you've got."

Quickly enough the others were next to Angel shouting encouragement as she battled the fish. After about twenty minutes she finally had it close enough for the mate to drag it onto the boat. Angel would have collapsed in exhaustion had not Chuck been holding her.

Angel felt the group hugging her. "You did it," Chuck said. "I'm so proud of you. You didn't give up. You never gave up. Now you know that you can do anything if you just don't give up."

Angel was still pretty tired. "How big is it?" she asked.

The mate was busy measuring it. "I'd say about seventy five pounds," he said. "It's about an average adult Yellow Fin Tuna."

On the ride back Angel slid over to Chuck and snuggled against him much like this morning. He put his arm around her in surprise. "Are you cold?" he asked.

Angel snuggled in a little closer. "Not really," she sighed without looking up.

While the mate was cleaning the day's catch, Casey grumbled about the one that got away. "Mine was a lot bigger," he said with a growl.

Naturally Chuck wasn't going to let that hanging curve ball pass without taking a swing.

"But Angel landed hers."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah and Ellie decided… well Ellie decided and Sarah agreed to save a wild club for another time and just have a quiet drink in the lounge of a hotel. Dinner had gone exceptionally well. Ellie kept Sarah in stitches all night with her stories of the ER and especially of Chuck growing up. Sarah felt bad that she couldn't share any of the stories from her past but Ellie didn't seem to mind. With the wine at Ellie's and the additional drinks at dinner, both ladies were feeling a little tipsy. As they were sitting in a booth, sipping their drinks the waitress brought them another round.

"Excuse me," Sarah said. "But we didn't order these."

"Compliments of those gentlemen," replied the waitress as she indicated two men sitting at a table across the bar.

This was exactly what Sarah didn't want to happen. She wasn't in the mood to get 'charmed' by witty repartee designed to separate her from her panties. On clue the men approached.

Ellie actually took the lead. "Thank you for the drink," she said nicely. "But my sister and I were just enjoying a little quite chat. We're not looking to meet anyone."

It was a nice try. But Sarah had seen the look in their eyes only about a million times. "Oh come on," one of the men said as he slid into the booth next to Ellie. He had obviously been drinking.

"You two are too smoking hot to be alone," the other man said as he sat next to Sarah and tried to put his arm around her. "We just want to talk."

Sarah dunked under his arm and smiled at Ellie to let her know that she was okay. As she felt the man's hand on her leg, she turned to him and smiled sweetly. "Hi," she said softly. "My name is Sarah. What's yours?"

He smiled the smile of victory. "Bob" he replied.

"Well, Bob," Sarah said. "Let me tell you want I'd like." As she leaned in to whisper in his ear she grabbed his hand off her leg. "I'd really like you to take your hands off me and leave us alone," she whispered as she expertly bent his finger backwards to just before the breaking point. "Do we understand each other?"

So now, Bob was pretty much instantly sober from the pain. "Yes," he said as his eyes widened in fear. As soon as Sarah released his hand, he got up from the table. "Come on Andy," he said to his partner. "Let's leave these ladies alone. Sorry to have bothered you."

As the men retreated, Ellie turned to Sarah with her mouth open. "What did you say to him?" she asked.

Sarah didn't want to tell Ellie the truth. That would get her asking questions. Maybe some teasing was in order. "I told him that I would like to take him home," she said with a grin. "I told him that we were both actually men… that we liked to dress up like women and see how many men we could pick up in single night. I told him he would have been the tenth one tonight."

Ellie couldn't keep in the laugh. It came out pretty wet. "That's the funniest thing I've ever heard," she said. "Actually yours was kind of cute. Don't you think?"

"Was he?" Sarah asked. "To tell you the truth, I didn't even notice."

Ellie was still laughing. "Has Chuck hypnotized you or something?" she asked. "Come on Sarah. I get that you're lovesick and married… but you're not dead. It's not a crime to acknowledge that another man is cute."

Sarah didn't laugh. "I know," she said as she looked Ellie in the eye. "I'm sure that you've had a lot of guys hit on you."

Ellie nodded. "Some," she admitted.

"But you've had a man in your life to help shield you," Sarah said sadly. "You've had Chuck and Devon. I've had these guys hitting on me since I was sixteen. I've never had a man in my life to help keep them away. I've had enough of 'cute' guys like that to last a life time. I'm very happy not looking at them ever again."

"I'm sorry," said Ellie softly. "I didn't know. I mean that's great that you're so devoted to my brother. I'm really happy for you."

"Don't be sorry," Sarah said. "I'm happy for me too. I never thought that I could be this happy. For the first time in my life, I have a family. Trust me; I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Chuck is my life."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Angel arrived at Casey's a few minutes before Casey and Carina. They had stopped at the market to pick up fixings for a salad and some white wine. As soon as they were in the house, Angel turned to Chuck and threw her arms around him. "Thank you for today," she said. "I've never had so much fun in my life. Deep sea fishing… who'd have thunk it?"

"You're so welcome," Chuck replied with a smile. "I had a lot of fun today too. Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"How about tomorrow, we go on that real date that you wanted?" Angel asked softly.

"Actually," Chuck said with a laugh. "I've already paid for tomorrow. But I'm free the day after. Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Yes," Angel said… her voice no more than a whisper as she kissed him. "I am. So then, I can do that without you wondering if I mean it. Charles, you're not like any other man I've ever met."

Chuck could see the look in her eyes. He knew that he had to keep this light or she was going to jump on him. With Casey and Carina ready to walk through that door any second, that would be hard to live down. "I get that a lot," he said with a laugh.

"If we're going to be friends for real, you need to start calling me Chuck."

x-x-x-x-x

The fresh tuna was perhaps the best meal that Chuck had ever had. Casey had broiled it to perfection. It started off with a green salad and topped off with several glasses of white wine. The two couples shared a little conversation but mostly they were too tired to do anything except eat. The day would have perfect if only he could have shared it with the love of his life.

Chuck and Angel were silent on the drive home with Angel sitting next to him with her head on his shoulder. Chuck was beginning to wonder if she was awake. Then, as they pulled up to Angel's building, she broke the silence. "Would you like to come up?" she asked.

Chuck knew that he was about out of stall lines. "Angel," he said softly. "You know how I feel about paying for sex."

Angel looked at him sadly. "How about if I want it?" she asked.

"In two days," said Chuck. "We'll see then… okay?"

"Okay," Angel said. "I'm really sorry that I put us in this situation."

"Don't be sorry," Chuck said with a reassuring smile. "I knew what I was getting into. You've been great. It looks like my plan is working perfectly."

That finally got the smile he was looking for. "Yes," Angel agreed as she closed the car door. "It does. Maybe in two days, I'll be paying you. I'll see you tomorrow, Chuck."

When Chuck entered the apartment, Sarah was standing there waiting for him. They wrapped their arms around each other and just held on for a long, long time.

"I hate this job," Chuck finally said.

Sarah squeezed him even tighter. "I know that you do," she said. "So do I. But you're doing great. It's important."

Chuck sighed. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"I brought you some fresh tuna."

x-x-x-x-x


	10. The Stockholm Syndrome

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **The Stockholm Syndrome**

x-x-x-x-x

There was one good thing about this situation. Bringing Sarah fresh broiled tuna was clearly a home run. Chuck had brought home a ton. It had been a huge fish. There was plenty left over for everyone. He was thinking it would be dinner for the next couple of days. He just watched in amusement as she sat there at the table and gobbled it all. He always assumed that such a beautiful woman would fret over every calorie. That wasn't Sarah. Then again, her high octane lifestyle burned a lot of energy. Just watching her work out was exhausting. "I have to tell her," he finally said.

Sarah looked up from her tuna as if she was surprised that Chuck would speak. After all, they had sat in silence for some time. But she was also plainly ready for this conversation. "Let me tell you a story," she said. "Right after we graduated from the academy, Carina was assigned to infiltrate a suspected terror cell. It was a tough assignment for a young agent. They are not the kind of people who are trusting of outsiders. The only way in was to seduce one of the main members. She picked him up in a bar and went home with him. They were together for four months. She actually had to marry this guy. In that world, a wife has even less rights than a girlfriend. She had to be available for him any time he was in the mood, which she says was most always. Anyway, the CIA psyche guys called her in before the assignment. They told her to be careful. They said that in long term seduction missions, there was a common danger. It is very similar to the Stockholm syndrome. The mission required far more than just sex. Blowing your cover meant being tortured to death in some horrible and demeaning way. To pull off that kind of assignment, to convince someone over a long period of time that you were in love with them, you had to mentally assume that role. Over time, the agent would often develop genuine feelings for the mark."

Chuck nodded. "I can see that," he said. "That's why seduction missions don't make sense to me. How could they not mess with your head? That's why I refuse to assume that role with Angel. I'm acting, and I hate it. Have you ever felt anything for a mark?"

Sarah smiled at his shot. "I've only been assigned to one mark for more than a day," she said. "Now I find myself married to him and am currently having sex five times a night. So I'd call that a big yes. Of course, at the time, Carina giggled at them. But she found out that it was true. When he was killed, she felt horrible for weeks. She actually cried. I think that's the first time I ever saw her cry. This was a really bad guy. At first, Carina was looking forward to the day when she could put a bullet between his eyes. Yet she found that she had developed feelings for him. She mourned for him. And that was after only a few months. Angel isn't a bad person… not really."

Chuck thought through what she was trying to say to him. "It's not like that," he protested. "I do care for her. You're right. She's not a bad person. I'm not trying to make you jealous."

Sarah shook her head. "I'm not jealous," she insisted. She saw his skeptical look. "I'm not," she insisted even louder. "At least not in the way you're thinking. I get that I'm the most loved woman in the world. I'm sad that she's getting to do some fun things with you that I'd like all to myself. That's not your fault. I'm not upset with you. In fact, it's the opposite. I'm proud of how well you're doing. I do understand a little better now what I've been putting you though… and that makes me sad. But you're doing great. I'm just saying that it makes sense that you would develop feelings for her, especially given that you're the nicest guy in the world."

"I don't feel right about what I'm doing to Angel," Chuck said. "I have to let her know that I can be her friend but nothing more. I want to help her. I want her to help us. But I don't know how to do that. I don't want to hurt her."

Sarah sat thoughtfully for a long moment. "I know that you hate this," she said. "Speaking strictly as an agent, you shouldn't tell her anything. Remember our objective here. You're doing great. According to Carina, she's falling hard for you. You're close to the point where you could get her to do anything that you want."

"It's worse than that," Chuck said sadly. "Before Casey and Carina got home she told me that she wanted to go on a real date. Then she kissed me and said that she wanted me to know that she really meant it. Sarah, I don't want her to fall in love. That's going to really hurt her. It will blow any trust that I've built up."

"She kissed you?" Sarah asked.

Chuck ignored her question. "I have to tell her," he said. "It's just not right."

"She kissed you?" Sarah asked again. This time the question was more insistent.

"Yes, Sarah," Chuck said. "She kissed me, all right? This is not fair to her. I thought that you weren't jealous."

"I'm not jealous," Sarah insisted. "I'm not crazy about any kissing but you didn't do anything wrong. It comes with the territory. If you blow your cover now, who knows what will happen?"

"Sarah, I have to tell her."

That got Sarah grinning. "Chuck," she said. "There's an old saying. Hell hath no fury. I think maybe you should have that tattooed on your wrist. You're getting close to tasting it from two sides."

"Very funny," said Chuck. "Please help me here. I'm in trouble."

Sarah looked at him for a long moment. "I've never told you this before," she finally said. "You're looking for me to open up to you more. So I have a confession. I've never had sex with a mark on an assignment. I'm telling the truth about that. But I've come pretty close quite a few times. Carina always said that it was easier if you could make yourself get into it. So I tried that a couple of times."

The last thing that Chuck wanted was to give her the impression that he was laughing at her. So he made sure that his smile was warm and relaxed. "Something tells me that didn't work out too well," he said.

If Chuck was worried about her reaction, he needn't have been. Her return smile was just as relaxed. "It really didn't," Sarah said. "In training it's drilled into your head that you can't develop feelings. That part was easy because they were all creeps. But I always felt bad afterwards… dirty. The mark was always thinking he had found his dream girl. It was too easy. I could pick him up in a bar. That was usually simple since they almost always would hit on me. I would go home with him, laugh at this guy's crude jokes, neck with him, let him get me out of my clothes, and feel nothing. I always wondered if there was something wrong with me, if I would ever have that feeling for real and how would I know the difference. Then you came along with your Mr. Perfect thing. I quickly found that knowing the difference wasn't going to be an issue. I guess that's why I'm so clingy with you. Inside I'm still scared that you'll think that I'm just acting, like Carina warned you that first day. I'm trying in every way that I can think of to make sure that you know that we're real. You need to know that I can't bear even the thought of losing you. That's why I never told you this story before. I didn't want to put the thought in your head."

"I hope you know now that you don't have to worry about that," Chuck said softly. "I appreciate you telling me. That wasn't easy."

"I know," Sarah said. "My head knows anyway. You and I are in a really good place. Even that sounds lame. It's nothing short of magical. Sometimes my fear overcomes my head and I act a little stupid. I'm sorry. You've been wonderfully patient. You've been great. I really appreciate it. I hope that you can continue to be patient with me."

"Trust me, comforting you is my favorite thing in the whole world," Chuck said as he embraced her. "Please feel free to be as clingy as you want."

"Thanks," Sarah said. "It's going to happen."

Chuck smiled. "Knowing what you know now, would you do it over again?" he asked.

Sarah smiled back. "If you would have asked me that question two months ago, I would have said yes without even thinking about it," she said. "It was always worth it to me… just part of the job. I was fighting a war against evil. I was proud of what I was able to accomplish. I still am proud. Maybe I wasn't wild about some of the things I had to do, but the results were worth it. Now, I'm not so sure."

"Why?"

"Because I fell in love," Sarah said. "It's getting harder and harder to put you though that… especially now that I understand what it feels like. I hate what it does to you."

"That's what Bryce told me," Chuck said softly. "He said that I would never be able to know for sure. He said that you were too good at fooling people."

"What did you say to him?"

"I laughed at him," Chuck said with a twinkle in his eye. "I would laugh at you if I wasn't sure you wouldn't take it the wrong way. We've already been through all of this with Carina. I told him that you had nothing to prove to me and I hoped he would find someone someday who he could trust like I trust you."

"Good answer," Sarah said. "I probably deserve to get laughed at. Thank you for your restraint."

"No problem," Chuck said. "Hopefully I'm a smart enough husband to realize that laughing at you probably wouldn't go well for me. Now to the important question, who is better in bed, Bryce or me?"

There was today's reminder. No matter how badly she was feeling, he could always make her laugh. It came out pretty wet. "I think that you already know the answer to that," she said. "You just want to hear me say it."

"Okay," Chuck said. "You're on to me. You don't have to tell me."

Sarah was still struggling to keep from laughing. "That's okay," she said. "I don't mind stroking your ego a bit. You deserve it. Nobody is even in your league. Did that make you feel better?"

Chuck grinned at her. "Actually, yes," he said. "It did. I think that you should tell me that once a day, just to keep my spirits up."

"I'm thinking that your spirits are just fine," Sarah protested with a laugh. "I don't mind stroking your ego, but if your spirits were up any more, we'd never get out of bed. Normally I'd be all for that. But we have to eat sometime."

"Fair enough," Chuck said. "Can we wait and talk about Angel in the morning? My spirits are really up right now, if you know what I mean."

"Yes, Chuck, I know," Sarah said with a grin. "I can see. For future reference, that's a question you never have to ask."

"I usually don't have to ask," Chuck protested.

"You're right," Sarah said in mock indignation. "I'm usually the one making the first move. I'm sorry if you think I'm not eager to get naked. You just beat me to it tonight. But I need to get something off my chest first."

"I know," Chuck said with a huge grin. "You need to get something off of all of you. You're wearing far too many clothes for what I have in mind. But if you want to start with your chest, who am I to complain? I'm surprised that I have to tell you this."

"No silly," said Sarah with a giggle as she slapped Chuck playfully. "I meant I want to say something."

"Go ahead."

"I'm going to fucking kill Bryce Larkin."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck lay flat on his back in bed wide awake staring at the ceiling. The love of his life's head rested on his chest sleeping peacefully. Life was good. At least life should have been good. Chuck couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh.

Immediately Sarah's eyes popped open. As her eyes focused and met Chuck's a smile crept across her face. "Good morning," she said.

Chuck was kicking himself for having wakened her. So he smiled back. "Go back to sleep," he said. "It's too early."

"What's wrong," Sarah asked with a yawn. "Why are you awake so early?"

"Nothing is wrong," Chuck tried to lie. "Go back to sleep."

No sale. Sarah sat up. "Do you think that I don't know you well enough to tell when something is wrong?" she asked. "You're worried about Angel and you're worried about me."

"Yes," Chuck said slowly. "But please don't be jealous. I'm not meaning that at all."

Sarah's smile turned into a grin. "I know," she said. "I promise that we can discuss this without me getting jealous. You're not falling for her. You're just a really, really nice guy who doesn't want to hurt her."

"Thank you," Chuck said with a sigh. "I know that you told me that story last night to make a point. You wanted me to know what you were willing to do for a mission. I get it. You're willing to make huge sacrifices."

"That was only one reason," Sarah said. "I also wanted to share it with you so you could help me deal with it. I've never had anybody in my life that I could trust with this kind of stuff."

"Thanks for trusting me," Chuck said. "I know that wasn't easy for you."

"Here's the thing," Sarah said. "As it turned out, it was easy. Thank you for making it easy. I don't know how I lived without you. I don't know how to tell you how much you mean to me."

"Let's test how easy it was," Chuck teased. "How close have you come?"

Sarah looked at him for a moment. He was right. It was a test. "Pretty close," she finally sighed. "Bryce and I had this technique worked out. I would pick up the mark and take him to the hotel room we had set up so that Bryce could search his place. I was to keep him occupied for forty-five minutes. Then Bryce would call me with an 'emergency' and I'd have to leave. I told the mark that I'd be right back, and naturally, he never saw me again."

Chuck smiled at her. "So he had forty-five minutes worth of time to get you naked," he said. "Your average with me is forty-five seconds."

"Exactly," Sarah said. "I had a couple of standard stalls. First I would act embarrassed and tell him that I was feeling guilty… that I had never done this before on a first date."

"And that worked?" Chuck asked incredulously.

That actually got a smile. "Not with this type of men," Sarah said. "Hardly ever for more than a few minutes. I was bluffing anyway. There was no way I could let him leave and catch Bryce searching his room. So I would have to look him in the eye and agree to surrender my first date virginity. But in doing that, I could ask him if we could have a drink first and go slow. That led to my second stall. After making him a drink, I would stand and take off my shirt for him, usually with a lame excuse that it was expensive and I didn't want to get it messed up. These guys were always aggressive, but they almost always allowed me to very slowly take off my shirt for them."

"Duh," Chuck said with a smile. "Who would turn down that show? So we've spent ten minutes of his forty-five. What next?"

"It was usually fifteen or so," Sarah corrected. "The next phase was necking. That's the part I hated the most. I don't mind men seeing me naked. Kissing them is hard. You simply have to participate. I had an internal clock in my head. I had a time limit for each article of clothing he was taking off. A lot of times he would spend all of his remaining time slobbering over my chest and that was it. I had it planned that I would always still have my panties on when time expired. A couple of times, Bryce wasn't on time. I think that was intentional and it always caused a huge fight. So my last stall was to lose my panties and submit to some groping. That was the worst thing that ever happened."

"What if Bryce didn't call?" Chuck asked.

"Two things," Sarah said. "First, Bryce would be making a trip to the hospital to have his broken arm put into a cast. Second, the mark would be putting on a condom and be getting lucky. Thankfully, that never happened."

"I think that I have an idea for a reenactment," Chuck said with a grin as he pulled Sarah back onto his chest. "We'll have to skip the 'getting naked' part and get right to the 'Bryce earning a broken arm' part.

That got Sarah laughing. "Down boy," she said as she got out of bed and pulled on Chuck's t-shirt. "Let's talk shop first. There will be plenty of time left for that after."

"Wow," Chuck said sadly. "The honeymoon must be over. That's the first time you've ever turned me down."

Sarah did a double take at his look. "I'm not turning you down," she said. "Chuck, do you really think that I'm turning you down? I'll never, never, ever turn you down. Just wait for a minute until we've talked. I'll get dressed and give you the full reenactment experience. Then see what happens. I'll turn you every way but down."

"Now I'm torn," Chuck said with a short laugh. "That half excites me and half scares the hell out of me."

"Good," Sarah said. "That's exactly how you're supposed to feel. Now you've lit my fuse. Hurry up and talk to me about Angel."

"Okay," said Chuck. "The way I see it, there are several major differences between my current situation and you with marks. First off, I'm married. I know that you've done some things since we've been married, but nothing to that extent. I would hope that you wouldn't take that overt of an assignment today."

"That's true. I'm already feeling pretty guilty over what I have done."

"Also," Chuck continued. "I'm not a trained agent. I don't think you can expect the same level of emotional detachment from me."

"Right again."

"Finally," Chuck said. "Angel is not a traitor or a terrorist. She hasn't done anything to deserve being used like this. She's a good person who made some bad judgments. She's in over her head and needs a hand. I want to help her, not crush her."

"Okay, Chuck," Sarah said. "Everything you just said is true. You're right; Angel doesn't deserve to be hurt. But in our business, we can't always do the right thing for everybody. If you blow your cover with Angel, some very bad terrorists might get away. Carina, who I think that you care for, will be in more danger. Could you live with yourself if something happened to Carina and you could have stopped it?"

"No," Chuck said sadly. "Of course not."

"And if we don't stop those terrorists," Sarah continued. "Some little kids are going to get blown up on a school bus somewhere… or something equally horrible. Do you want to live with that?"

Chuck simply stared at Sarah angrily.

"I'm sorry," Sarah said softly. "I didn't mean to lay that guilt trip on you. I just want to let you know that the stakes are high. What we're doing is important. If we don't do our job, really bad things happen. That's why we're asked to do some pretty awful things. I'm willing to make some serious sacrifices for the greater good. I know that you are too. If there's another way, we'd do it without question."

"Let me ask you something," Chuck asked softly. "There is a point in a seduction mission where you have to make a decision. If you've allowed the mark to get you naked, how do you avoid sex without blowing your cover?"

Sarah nodded. "You don't," she admitted. "You have a decision to make. Either give in or blow your cover. In my case, I'd assume that Bryce had a good reason. I wouldn't be able to allow my partner to be in danger. So I'd have to lie there and take one for the team. Trust me, in the morning I'd get the full explanation. If I didn't like what I heard, well I've already told you."

"That point is coming for me tomorrow," Chuck said. "Are you willing for me to sleep with Angel to take one for the team? Because I know that I wouldn't be willing to have you sleep with someone."

"Of course not," Sarah said. "It would mess me up for a while. I don't even like thinking about it. I don't think this rises to that urgency. But under the right circumstances, I might be able to get over it as long as I knew that you were only doing it because you had no choice."

"You might be able to get over it?" Chuck asked incredulously. "You might? That's not even close to being good enough. I can't mess you up. Not for a while, not for a second. That's where I draw the line. Terrorists are bad. I want to stop them if I can. I sure don't want Carina to get hurt. But you're my wife. Nothing, nothing can make me intentionally hurt you. If I have to make that decision, I'm telling her."

"Are you sure?"

"Come on, Sarah," Chuck said firmly. "There's no question. You're the most important thing in the world to me. I could never do something knowing that it would hurt you."

"Thanks," said Sarah with a grin. "I feel the same way. It was nice to hear. But not even to save Carina?"

"Maybe if someone was holding a gun to Carina's head," Chuck said. "That would be different. I would be okay with you doing that to directly save your, mine, or Carina's life. I don't even think that's a spy thing. I can't imagine that situation ever coming up."

Sarah was grinning. "What about Casey?" she asked.

"I'm thinking about it."

"Chuck," Sarah exclaimed as she slapped him playfully. "He's our partner too. He saved our lives in Vegas."

"I'm kidding," Chuck said with a grin. "I guess you could save Casey's life too."

"Good," said Sarah with a laugh. "That's an impossible choice I hope to never have to make."

"You and me both."

"How about this?" Sarah said softly. "You keep up your cover with Angel as long as you can. I imagine you'll have to put up with some kissing and handholding but put off any sex as long as possible. When it comes to the point where you have no choice, tell her. Try and make her think that you still want to be her friend. Does that sound okay?"

"Yes," Chuck said with relief. "I still do want to be her friend. Thank you."

"No, Chuck," Sarah said softly. "Thank you."

"I want to tell you something," Chuck said. "I hope that it doesn't come out wrong. Because if it hurts your feelings, I'll feel terrible. I know that we're real. I absolutely do. But sometimes it seems like a really good dream. I'm getting something most guys can only dream about. I wouldn't give up the past two weeks for anything. I feel like I'm floating on a cloud. If I ever wake up from that dream, at least I'll have the memory. I hope that you understand what I'm trying to say."

"I do," Sarah said. "It's the most romantic thing you've ever said to me."

"Thank God," Chuck whispered to himself.

Sarah quickly got her grin back. "Are you ready to be turned every way but down now?" she asked. "Give me a minute to get dressed properly and let's give you that reenactment you were looking for. Are you ready for me to surrender my mission virginity?"

"Absolutely."

x-x-x-x-x


	11. Chick Magnet

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Chick Magnet**

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Sarah had fallen back asleep. After all, Chuck didn't get much sleep last night and they had already had a very strenuous early morning. As Sarah struggled to become fully awake, she glanced at the clock. "Crap," she exclaimed as she suddenly sat upright in bed. "Get up, Chuck. We're going to be late."

Chuck didn't really open his eyes. Being in bed with Sarah… and actually sleeping was rare enough that he had learned to make the most of it. "Late for what?" he asked.

Sarah was already in the shower. "I forgot," she called breathlessly. "I made an appointment. We're getting married."

Of course, Chuck was now wide awake. "What?" he asked. "Aren't we already married?"

When Chuck walked into the bathroom, Sarah was lathering her hair. "Of course," she said. "But not legally, remember? In Vegas, we didn't have our real IDs. I made an appointment with a Justice of the Peace to marry us legally. We have to be there in forty five minutes."

Chuck joined Sarah in the shower. "We don't have any time to waste," he teased. "I'll wash your front while you rinse your hair."

That got Sarah laughing. "I admire your willingness to help," she said. "But we both know where that would lead. We really don't have time right now. I'll tell you what. Tomorrow morning I'll let you wash my front until we run out of hot water."

They were quickly done with the shower and toweling off. "What are we going to wear?" Chuck asked. "I mean it's not every day one gets married."

That got them both laughing. "No," Sarah said. "Apparently it's an every other week thing for us."

Chuck was still laughing. "You know what I mean," he protested. "The wedding is all about the bride. I don't want to mess this up for you."

Sarah shook her head. "It's not like that," she said. "This isn't our wedding. We got married in Las Vegas twelve days ago… and it was perfect. I'm not exaggerating when I say that every day has been perfect since then. Today is no big deal. It's just a formality."

"Then why are we doing this?" Chuck asked.

"I need to get your name on all of our accounts," Sarah said. "I want you to start managing the money. We need to be legally married in case something happens to either one of us. Besides how would we tell our kids that we're not really married?"

"Sounds pretty romantic," Chuck teased sarcastically.

"I wasn't really going for romance," Sarah replied. "But I guess anything can be romantic if you want it to be. It's a state of mind."

Chuck led Sarah into the living room. "Well, in that case," he said. "There's something important that I promised to do that I've never really done." He opened a drawer and picked up a box, then went over to Sarah and grabbed her hand. Sarah's eyes got big as he dropped to one knee. "Sarah," he said softly. "My life was totally without meaning until you came into it that day at the Buy More. I love you more than I could ever say. I thought that I was in love with you yesterday. But I find that I love you more today than I did yesterday. I'm sure now that I'm going to love you more tomorrow than I do today. Each day I tell myself that I couldn't possibly love you more. And every tomorrow proves me wrong. I want to spend the rest of my life with you seeing how much my love can grow over the years. Will you please marry me?"

It perhaps wasn't the most romantic moment they had ever shared… but it was pretty darn close. Sarah was blinking away some tears as she pulled Chuck to his feet and embraced him. "See," she said. "You can make anything romantic if you try. It's your particular genius."

They just stayed there in their embrace enjoying the moment. "Well?" Chuck finally asked.

"Well?" Sarah repeated in confusion.

"Come on, Sarah," Chuck said. "We've already been over this. When someone proposes to you you're supposed to answer them."

That got them laughing. Sarah reached up and kissed him. "Sorry cowboy," she said. "I'm already married."

That got them laughing ever harder. "Wait a minute," Chuck said. "Does this mean that tonight is our wedding night?"

Sarah couldn't speak for a long moment through her laughing.

"That, I can do."

x-x-x-x-x

As usual, Angel's eyes lit up as she saw the Porsche approach. She was waiting on the sidewalk as before. There was something different about today. There was no question but that Angel was an attractive woman. But she usually hid it under layers of makeup. Today, she looked more like the girl next door… cute more than overtly sexy. As soon as the car pulled up to her she jumped in and kissed his cheek. "Hi, Chuck," she said. "I'm so happy to see you."

"I'm happy to see you too," Chuck said with a smile. "Are you all rested up from fishing? You had quite a workout. That was the biggest fish I've ever seen."

Angel grinned. "My arms are still sore," she admitted. "But that was the most fun I've ever had in my life. Maybe we can go again someday."

Chuck nodded. "We can definitely go again someday," he said. "I forgot to tell you. I was too tired last night. But when you were fighting that fish your bikini was really moving around. Casey and the mate about fell overboard a few times trying to get a better look."

Angel paused for a beat. "You sound jealous," she said softly. "Were you trying to get a better look too?"

Chuck did a double take at her tone. Certainly Angel wasn't shy about men seeing her naked. She was a topless dancer. "I've already seen the view," he said with a laugh designed to lighten the mood. "Remember all those lap dances?"

Angel was still blushing, but her smile turned sly. "Don't you want to see it again?" she asked.

They were officially wandering into dangerous territory. Chuck knew that he had to keep this light. "What are you trying to do to me here?" he asked in mock anger. "Can't you see that I'm driving? Do you want us to crash?"

Fortunately, Angel let it drop. "What are we going to do today?" she asked with a grin. "Don't tell me, let me guess. Skydiving, right? No wait, square dancing. Oh, I've got it, rock climbing. I can never hope to guess what you have planned."

That got Chuck laughing. Actually, except for maybe the square dancing, those were all things that Sarah would enjoy. He made a mental note to take his second time newlywed wife for a fun day as soon as it was possible. "Those are all good ideas," he teased. "Which one would you prefer?"

Angel looked at him. She wasn't sure if he was teasing or not. "You're kidding," she finally said with a questioning look. "Right?"

That got Chuck laughing even harder. "Yes," he said. "I'm kidding. We'll do those things someday. We probably need something a little less strenuous today. I thought that we would just take the car up into the mountains and drive around. I brought a picnic lunch and maybe we can go for a little walk someplace. Does that sound okay?"

Talk about a stupid question. Angel had a blast at Disneyland and fishing. But spending some quiet time alone with him was perfect. Maybe that's exactly what she needed to get him to the next level. Sex in the rugged mountains didn't sound very comfortable. And this car really didn't have any room for what she had in mind. Hopefully he had a thick blanket for this picnic. "I love this car," she said. "You know how much I love this car. That sounds great."

"How about this?" Chuck asked as he pulled the car over to the side of the road. They sat there for a moment with him grinning.

"Would you like to drive?"

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah was talking to Carina on her cell phone while tailing Chuck and Angel. Or rather, she was trying to tail them. Carina's car was no match for the Porsche, and especially in the winding mountain roads. "Guess what Chuck and I did today," Sarah said.

That got Carina laughing. "I don't have to guess what," she teased. "The better question is how many times."

That got Sarah joining the laughing. "Good point," she teased. "Okay, two times so far today. But that's not what I meant. Chuck and I got married today."

That stopped Carina's laughing. "Really?" she asked. "Why? I thought you were already married."

"Sure," Sarah agreed calmly. "We just did it today to make it legal. You know, with my trust fund and everything. If something happens to me I want to make sure that Chuck is protected. Besides, we wanted to be able to tell our kids that we were really married."

"Kids?" Carina asked in shock. "Since when are you guys talking about kids?"

"We've always wanted kids," Sarah said. "I thought that you knew that. Don't you want kids someday?"

"Oh hell no," Carina protested quickly. "How can you do this job and have a family? A husband is bad enough. I don't see how that works."

"It doesn't," Sarah agreed. "I'd have to quit."

Carina was silent for so long that Sarah was beginning to think that the call had dropped. "You're thinking about quitting?" she finally asked. "The great Agent Walker? Quitting? How could you possibly quit? This is your life."

That got Sarah laughing again. "Not anymore," she replied. "Agent Walker is a memory. Now my life is tall and has brown curly hair. Of course, he is currently trying to seduce another woman and is letting her drive my car while he is planning his second wedding night."

"Chuck is letting Angel, the coke addict, drive your Porsche?" Carina asked incredulously. "I'm surprised you let him drive it. Does he have a death wish?"

"It sure looks like it," Sarah agreed. "Speaking of death wishes how is your assignment with this Scott Wilson dude going?"

Carina paused to consider the question. "I'm not sure," she finally said. "I really can't figure him out. Something is just not right. He is definitely more interested. At first, it was obvious that I was there just so he could be seen as a couple. Lately he has been a lot more touchy feely. I'm thinking that today, he could make the move. I sure hope it's nothing beyond second base."

"What are you going to do?" Sarah asked.

Carina was stunned she would even ask that question. It was proof how far she was gone. "What do you think?" she replied sarcastically.

"Are you sure?" Sarah asked. "You know that Casey is listening to every groan."

Carina shook her head. "Don't worry about Casey," she said. "Casey isn't Chuck. He gets it."

"I know that he gets it," Sarah agreed. "But still, please be careful. I'm thinking that this might bother him more than he's saying."

That got Carina laughing again. "Look who's talking," she teased.

"I'd rather be Scott Wilson's sex toy a hundred times than change one messy diaper."

x-x-x-x-x

Predictably, Angel was having a blast driving the Porsche. The curvy mountainous roads were a perfect fit for the high performance car. They had the windows down and the radio blasting. Their hair was blowing in the breeze as they zipped through the mountain side. Finally, unable to be heard, Chuck motioned for Angel to pull off. Angel rather reluctantly found a relatively flat spot and stopped the car.

Chuck opened the door. "That was fun," he said as he got out of the car. "This looks like a good place to have our picnic. Is that okay with you?"

Angel got out of the car and threw her arms around him. "That was a blast," she gushed. "Here's the truth. Right now anything you suggest would sound good to me. Thank you so much for letting me drive your car. I can't tell you how excited I am."

"I can tell," Chuck teased with a laugh as he rubbed Angel's back. "You're so welcome." He knew that he couldn't allow this embrace to last too long or they would be right back into dangerous territory. So he got out the basket, small cooler, and blanket that Sarah had helped him pack. They walked for a while until they were well out of sight of the road. It was a very desolate area so there was no fear of being bothered. Once they found a nice flat spot, Chuck spread out the blanket and they sat down.

The first thing that Angel did was inspect the blanket. It was definitely thick enough to rock his world several times. There was only one thing that she needed to do first. She looked around expectantly. "Where is the bathroom?" she asked.

That got Chuck laughing. "You're joking, right?" he teased. "The bathroom is right behind that rock over there. Go ahead. I won't peak."

Angel mentally kicked herself. She sure didn't want to spoil the mood they had going by doing a line of coke right in front of him. She hadn't thought this through. "No," she said sadly. "That's okay."

But as they were eating their sandwiches, that ever present need was getting worse. "Do you think that we'll come across a bathroom soon?" Angel asked.

Chuck made sure his sad smile was soothing. "Come on, Angel," he said. "You need to do some coke, right? It's okay."

"Is it that obvious?" Angel asked sadly.

"It is," Chuck said. "Your hands are shaking. Go ahead and do what you have to do."

As Angel spread out her equipment, she turned to Chuck. "Do you want a line?" she asked.

Chuck shook his head. "No thanks," he said. "After getting busted I think that's something I'm going to give up."

After Angel had packed her stuff back up, she returned to lie down on her back next to him. "Thanks," she said. "I feel much better now. Wanna make out?"

Chuck ignored the offer. "Angel," he said softly. "Can I talk to you?"

"Chuck, please don't lecture me," Angel said sadly. "I already know what you're going to say. Please? This is more complicated than that."

Chuck rolled onto his side to be able to look at her with a smile. "Angel," he said. "Why would I lecture you? I'm not your dad. I have no right to tell you how to live your life. If you don't like what I'm going to say, it's your perfect right to tell me to mind my own business. Okay?"

Angel nodded cautiously.

"I hope that you can think of me as more than a customer," Chuck continued. "I hope that you can consider me a friend."

Angel did a double take. "I can't believe you're questioning that," she said. "You've been amazing. I've never met a man like you before. You're the only man I've met that treated me like a person and not as a sex object."

"I'm not questioning that," Chuck protested. "I just want it on record. Let me help you. I've come to know you pretty well over the past couple of weeks. I think that you're an amazing person. I like you a lot. And it breaks my heart to think that you're not going to be around very much longer. It doesn't have to be this way. Please let me help you."

Angel just looked at him sadly for a long moment. "It's not that easy," she finally said. "I don't think I can be helped. Do you really think I haven't tried to quit? I've tried a hundred times. I just can't."

Chuck reached over and grabbed her hand. "No one can quit on their own," he said softly. "That's why they have rehab clinics. Even that doesn't always work. That's why you have to keep trying and keep trying until you get there. Angel, I saw you fight that fish. I saw how determined you can be. You're a fighter. I'll help but it has to be you. You have to want to fight this. And you have to want to fight it again and again until you win."

Angel started sobbing. "I don't want to be a slave anymore," she said. "I want to try. I can't do this on my own. Will you please help me?"

Chuck just held Angel and rubbed her back while she cried on his shoulder. "Of course," he said.

After a few minutes Angel was able to control her tears although she continued in their embrace. "Do you think I'm pretty?" she asked, her voice muffled a little by her head still on Chuck's shoulder.

"Of course, I think you're pretty," Chuck said. "Why would you ask me that?"

Angel shook her head. "Then why haven't you shown any interest?" she asked.

"We've been through this," Chuck said. "I don't want to pay for sex."

Angel pulled out of their embrace to look at him. "Come on, Chuck," she said. "This isn't about money. I think that you know that. I want you more right now than I've ever wanted anything in my life. It's more than that. I can tell. I've been naked on your lap some twenty times. I can tell when a man wants me. You only did once, and even then, you left right away."

Chuck knew that his cover was hanging by a thread. It was worth one more bluff. "Can't I just enjoy being with you as your friend?" he asked with a smile. "Does everything always have to be about sex?"

"You're turned off by the fact that I'm a hooker," Angel said sadly. "Aren't you?"

Chuck shook his head. "Come on, Angel," he said. "I knew that you were a hooker before I knew your name. If that was a problem, I wouldn't have been back."

"Chuck, are you gay?" Angel asked. "It's okay. You're trying to turn straight. You're hoping that I can turn you on to women. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. It happens more than you'd think. What can I do to help?"

Given the robust turn that his sex life had taken in the past month, this struck Chuck as funny. He started laughing. "I'm not gay," he said. "Can't we just be friends? Are you threatened by a man that's not trying to get you on your back every ten minutes?"

"Then you must be married," Angel said with her own laugh.

When Chuck didn't answer Angel's eyes widened. "Oh my God," she whispered. "That's it. You're married."

At this point, any denial was pointless. It was time to come clean. "Does that bother you?" Chuck asked. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you."

Angel was laughing again. "Come on, Chuck," she said. "Don't be silly. Almost all of the men that come to me are married. They all want the same thing that their wives won't do. Is that what you want? If I do say so myself, I'm pretty good at it. I'm happy to help you out."

Chuck could feel the blush rising up into his face. "No," he said. "Angel, I'm not looking for sex from you. Why are you having such a hard time with that? I met you at the club and decided that I wanted to get to know you better. I wanted to see what was behind the sparkle in your eyes. But as a person, not as woman."

Angel ignored him as she sat in thought. "Oh my God," she said as the epiphany hit. "That Sarah chick from the party. You're married to her?"

"Why would you say that?" Chuck asked.

"Come on, Chuck," Angel insisted. "I saw the way you two were looking at each other. I saw you going at it at the party. That's why she wouldn't screw Matlin. I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner."

Chuck nodded. "Okay," he said. "You're very perceptive. Yes, Sarah and I are married. Does that bother you?"

Angel considered the question. That made things more complicated. Falling in love with a married man didn't seem like the smartest thing to do. "I'm not sure," she said hesitantly. "Does she know about me?"

Chuck smiled. "Of course," he said. "She would love to get to know you. She's really the nicest person in the world."

Angel started laughing. "I get it," she said. "You're trying to hook me up with her, aren't you? You want some three way fantasy."

Chuck sure didn't see that one coming. "What?" he asked in surprise.

Angel was still giggling. "Don't be embarrassed," she said. "A lot of men have that fantasy. It's usually when they've been married about five years. How long have you been married?"

Chuck looked at his watch. It had been almost exactly five hours. "A little less than that," he said.

"Chuck," Angel said. "That is a really common request. I usually try and get out of it. I'm not into chicks."

Suddenly the ridiculousness of the situation was overwhelming. "That's okay," he said, struggling to get the words out between laughing. "I understand."

"Can we still be friends? I really do care for you."

x-x-x-x-x

On the ride back to the city, Angel was very quiet. As Chuck pulled up to Angel's building she turned to him. "I'll do it," she said. "You're the best friend I've had in a long time, maybe ever. You obviously have put a lot of effort into this, getting her a job at a strip club and all. I'd feel terrible if the one thing that you've asked me to do for you, I said no."

Again the situation had turned ridiculous. "Don't worry about that," Chuck said while trying to control his laughter. "Angel, I'm your friend. I'll do anything for you. You believe me don't you?"

"I do believe you," Angel said. "That just makes me feel even more terrible. I want to do this for you. I'll even make myself get into it. I promise. Matlin had already made it clear that was something that was going to happen anyway. So what is the fantasy? Does she want to watch us? Or do you want to watch the girls go at it? I gotta tell you, I'm not into chicks, but she's amazing. Maybe Sarah and I can talk tomorrow and work it out. Hopefully that will make it less weird."

That got Chuck laughing even harder. "That's okay," he said. "I'll bring Sarah tomorrow but please, Angel, please don't say anything about any fantasies. Okay?"

Angel was still laughing. "I get it," she said as she got out of the car. "You haven't talked her into it yet. Don't worry. I don't want to get her pissed off at you."

As Chuck drove away, he sighed to himself.

"You'll never know."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck really didn't know what to expect when he walked into the apartment. It sure didn't help his anxiety much to see Sarah standing waiting for him with her arms folded across her chest. Her body language wasn't exactly nice and cheery. "Hi," he said cautiously.

Sarah's arms were still folded. "Hi?" she questioned flatly. "That's all you have to say? Care to explain yourself?"

Chuck knew that he would have to do some very fast talking to keep from spending his second wedding night on the couch. "I'm sorry," he said. "It just sorta happened. I thought it was the perfect resolution. Angel is not expecting me to have sex with her and we can stay friends. I went with it."

"You just went with it?" Sarah asked sarcastically. "Are you sure that you don't really hope that this sick fantasy happens? That's what it is, isn't it? And on our second wedding night? You really never want sex again, do you?"

It was looking more and more like spending the second wedding night on the couch was the best thing that could happen. She looked pretty pissed. "Please," Chuck said quickly. "Please don't be mad at me. You know that I don't feel that way. It just happened."

Suddenly Sarah was in his arms grinning. "Come on, sweetie," she said. "I was teasing you. That was some really quick thinking."

Chuck's shoulders slumped in relief. "That was mean," he said. "I should really be pissed. Luckily, I'm too relieved to be pissed. I'm so looking forward to tonight."

"Me too," Sarah said. "But we still have some work to do first. Have you ever been in a threesome before?"

It was the very last thing Chuck expected her to ask. "No," he said. "I was never all that good at talking myself into a twosome."

Sarah broke the embrace and stood there for a moment. "Neither have I," she said thoughtfully. "That's going to be a major problem. Angel is a pro. She is going to think that we've put a lot of thought into this. We'd better know how to act. I'll get Carina over here to help us practice. She's the closest thing we have to a pro. I'll watch you two go at it a couple of times and then you can watch Carina with me. We'll figure out which is more natural for when it comes up with Angel."

Chuck couldn't find the words to protest. He just stood there with his mouth hanging open shaking his head.

Suddenly Sarah was giggling. "Still teasing you, sweetie," she said. "That's disgusting. By the way, I'm pretty sure that Carina wouldn't mind helping us practice if we wanted. She's always been disgusting."

Chuck collapsed into the sofa in relief. "Could we please just go to bed now before this really goes badly?" he asked.

Sarah was still sporting her Cheshire cat grin. "Just the two of us?" she teased. "That seems a little anticlimactic."

Chuck was still shaking his head in relief. He looked at her standing there grinning at him. She plainly would be teasing him about this incessantly for the near future. "Yes, Sarah," he said.

"Definitely just the two of us."

x-x-x-x-x

 _It should be noted that Chuck and Sarah always celebrated September 2nd, the day they were married in Vegas, as their anniversary. However Chuck always made it a tradition to make sure that he did something very special on September 14th every year. After the kids became teenagers they began to notice._

 _Once Kate asked her mother what was so special about September 14th. Sarah's eyes lit up as she told her daughter, "That was the day your father proposed to me."_

 _"So," Kate reasoned. "You were engaged for almost a whole year before you got married?"_

 _"No," Sarah replied with a smile. "It was the same year."_

 _Sarah kept Kate wondering about the apparent contradiction for several years until they were in the bride's dressing room minutes before her own wedding. When she finally heard the whole story, just moments before Chuck was to walk her down the aisle, she shook her head through the tears welling up in her eyes._

 _"That's daddy," she said with a smile._

" _Two weeks late to his own wedding."_

x-x-x-x-x


	12. The Zoo

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **The Zoo**

x-x-x-x-x

Casey was in the car listening to Carina with Scott Wilson. Try as he might, he really didn't have a clue what was going on… and it was driving him crazy. They were just having dinner along with several other couples at the hotel. Casey couldn't really tell who the other men were. It was probably a safe assumption that the women were all escorts. He sat impatiently until he could talk to Carina and get her take on the situation. Not that he had much hope that it was going to help.

Today was going just as had the previous couple of days. Scott Wilson would have dinner with a group of men. Each man would have an escort. Then after dinner they would have a couple of drinks, flirt for a while and then the girls were asked to leave. So far anyway, the girls were not asked to do anything except to be eye candy. Casey couldn't tell from the voices if any of the men were repeats or not. He needed to talk to Carina to find that out. From what he could tell, the conversation was all social. Who would hire expensive hookers just to have dinner? It didn't make sense.

"Okay, ladies," Scott Wilson said with a huge smile. "I think that we can let you go now." As the escorts got up from the table and were in the process of leaving, Wilson walked up to Carina. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.

Carina didn't have any more of a clue what was going on than Casey did. But she had seen the look he was flashing her only a million times. Maybe that would lead to some more information. "Sure," she said. She walked with him out of earshot of the other guests. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm sorry if this sounds ridiculously forward," Wilson said with a smile. "But I don't have time to say it any other way."

Carina, more or less, knew what was coming. She flashed the smile that told him to continue.

"I find you incredibly attractive," Wilson said. "I have a few minutes before my next meeting. Would you like to come up to my room for a drink?"

Carina didn't know what to think. A few minutes? Was he asking for sex? Why would he ask? He had already paid for that. She really didn't have a good way to refuse, even if she didn't need to find out what was going on. "A drink?" she asked with a coy smile. "Or something else?"

"Well," Wilson said. "We'll start with a drink and see how it goes."

Carina smiled as she offered Wilson her hand.

"Lead the way."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck woke up with Sarah's head on his chest, her long hair tickling him. It was funny. No matter what position they were in when they went to sleep, they always woke up in the same position, Chuck on his back with Sarah on her side with her head on Chuck's chest. Chuck just stayed quiet and let her sleep, enjoying the peaceful look on her face. As he waited for Sarah to awaken he looked around the room and the shambles it was in… and chuckled to himself. He could really get used to this every other week wedding night thing. Maybe he could talk to Sarah about making it a Bartowski family tradition. It probably made him something of a perv, but he loved watching his wife's perfect chest raising and falling as she slept. After a few minutes, her eyes slowly opened.

"Good morning," Chuck said. "How did you sleep?"

Sarah returned a smile that could have melted the polar ice caps faster than any global warming. "I'm great," she said. "That was pretty wild. It looks like we must have gotten some sleep, at least. What are our plans for today?"

"The same as we talked about last night." Chuck said with a grin as he headed for the shower. "Maybe I can get a rain check on washing your front in the shower like you promised. We never seem to be able to get up in time. We'll pick up Angel on the way."

"Do you mind if I just meet you there?" Sarah asked as Chuck was drying his hair. "I really want to stop by and see how Casey and Carina are doing on their mission."

"I thought that you didn't want me to be alone with Angel without backup?" Chuck questioned softly.

"I think you should be okay," Sarah said with a smile. "I'm more comfortable with Angel now. I think I can trust her. You don't mind, do you?"

"No problem," Chuck said as he started to put on his clothes. "I'm sure Angel will like that better anyway. She loves riding in the Porsche."

"Who said that you were talking the Porsche?" Sarah asked with grumble. "I hate Carina's car. It makes me feel like a soccer mom."

"Wait a minute," Chuck said with a laugh. "I thought you wanted to be a soccer mom?"

"I guess," said Sarah with a pout. "I just don't want to drive the boring car. We might as well buy a damn minivan."

Chuck was alert enough to realize that this was the dilemma they would have to soon face. Could Sarah really give up the high octane life of a superspy to become a mom and housewife? It certainly wasn't assured. "You're not having second thoughts, are you?" he asked thoughtfully.

Sarah could clearly read his mind, because she playfully punched Chuck in the arm. "Stop worrying about that," she said. "I'm not having second thoughts. I want a family so much I can taste it. I just love my car. It doesn't mean that I want to stay a spy. That's not really a spy thing at all, is it? Lots of non-spy people drive sports cars. Can't I have both?"

Chuck shook his head with a silly grin. "Sorry," he teased. "Someone has to make sacrifices for the greater Bartowski good."

Sarah did a double take. "Sacrifices?" she asked sarcastically. "How about throwing up every morning for a month, walking around like a blimp for six months, and pushing out of my body something the size of a watermelon? Followed by six months of doing hundreds of sit ups trying to get my figure back? Isn't that enough sacrifice? What sacrifice are you going to be making?"

Chuck's grin was starting to fade considerably. "Well," he said weakly. "I was going to rub your back while you're in labor."

Sarah's faux glare struck Chuck as funny. "Come on," he said. "Look at the bright side. Your breasts are going to get bigger."

Sarah's glare lost much of its playfulness.

Chuck knew that this discussion needed to end. "Umm," he said as he kissed Sarah goodbye. "I'm late. I really have to pick up Angel. We'll figure out a way to keep your car. Okay?"

Sarah's glare turned into a sheepish grin as she returned Chuck's kiss.

"Good answer."

x-x-x-x-x

As always, Angel was standing on the sidewalk waiting for Chuck to arrive. When he pulled up she quickly jumped into the car.

"Sorry I'm late," Chuck said with a sigh.

Angel, as was her custom, kissed him on the cheek. "I'm glad you made it," she said. "I was starting to get worried that you weren't coming."

"Why would you be worried about that?" Chuck asked playfully.

"Oh, I don't know," Angel replied sarcastically. "Where's Sarah? You guys had a fight, didn't you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"I can tell from your face," Angel said with a sly smile. "You asked her didn't you?"

At first, Chuck didn't know what Angel was talking about. Then he remembered. "We talked about it," he said. "I wouldn't say that she is mad. She is going to meet us there."

"Is this going to be weird?" Angel asked. "Does she hate me?"

"Why would she hate you?" Chuck asked. "Sarah doesn't think you've done anything wrong. As long as she likes you, she is actually very nice. I think you two are going to be friends."

"And she's not jealous?" Angel asked skeptically.

This was getting into dangerous territory. "Jealous of what?" Chuck questioned.

"Me," Angel said. "We've been spending a lot of time together. She's not worried that I might be falling for you?"

"Are you?"

"Of course not," Angel said softly with a sigh, more to herself than to Chuck, as she continued to look out the window. "That would be stupid. We're friends."

If Angel was trying to be convincing, she failed miserably. Chuck reached over and rubbed Angel's arm. "I don't think that Sarah is jealous. Not like you're meaning anyway. I think that she understands."

Angel needed to change the increasingly awkward subject. "Where are we going today?" she asked.

Chuck grinned at her. "We're meeting Sarah at the zoo," he said. "Do you like the zoo?"

Angel was laughing as she shook her head. "The zoo?" she questioned. "One thing that I love about being with you, Chuck."

"I would never, ever be able to guess what you have on your mind."

x-x-x-x-x

Carina was with Scott Wilson in his hotel room when Sarah knocked on the window and got into the car with Casey. "What's going on?" she asked. "How's she doing?"

"She's doing great," Casey answered sarcastically. "She's in Wilson's room. He just hit a double and the cleanup hitter is up. Hopefully she learns something other than his level of endurance."

As Sarah listened to the audio from Carina's bug, she could very plainly hear the sounds of kissing. "Why don't you take a walk?" she asked. "I'll listen for a while."

Casey did a double take. "How long have you been a spy?" he asked sarcastically. "She's just doing her job, right? This is going to let her get closer to Wilson. That's a good thing, right?"

Sarah had to agree. She had been in the van listening to Carina doing this same thing with a mark only about a thousand times. Why was this different? Was she more worried about Casey? Or Chuck? "Yes," she said. "But that doesn't mean it is easy to listen too."

"Don't get your panties in a bunch worrying about me," Casey said gruffly. "She's doing what she needs to do. Shouldn't you be backing up your husband with the coke addict? I still have a bruise on my shin from when I allowed them to be alone."

Sarah had to admit, he had a point. At first all you could hear was the zipper being lowered. After that, the muffled sounds coming from Carina's bug that was hidden in her bra plainly said that she was no longer wearing it. They had to really turn up the volume to make out what was going on. There wasn't much conversation but the groans they could hear made it obvious what was going on. Sarah looked at Casey. He wouldn't meet her gaze but she could tell that his teeth were clenched and his hands were tightly gripping the steering wheel. Finally there was silence except for what sounded like heavy breathing.

"Wow," Wilson said while obviously trying to catch his breath. "I have to go to a meeting now but that was great. Why don't you bring some clothes with you tomorrow and stay for a while?"

Carina smiled at him. This was great. Oh, the sex was a new low. But it meant she would be on the inside. "Okay," she said. "How long should I plan on staying?"

"Why don't you plan on a few days?" Wilson replied. "We'll play it by ear from there. And bring your suit. We'll see if we can have some fun."

Wilson walked out of the room and closed the door. Carina reached for her dress.

"You can count on that."

x-x-x-x-x

When Sarah arrived at the Zoo parking lot she quickly spotted the Porsche with Chuck and Angel inside.

"Hi," Chuck said as soon as they were all out of the cars. "You remember Angel, right?"

Sarah had to fight back some serious pangs. The last time she saw Angel, she was painted like… well, like the whore that she was. Sarah wasn't expecting this sweet, innocent looking girl next door. She was exactly Chuck's type. So she had to force the relaxed smile on her face. "Of course," she said as she reached out her hand. "It's so nice to see you again. How have you been?"

"I've been good," Angel said with a wry smile. "I notice that you're dressed a lot differently than the last time we were together."

Touché. Angel had a point. They were both different. "And I notice that you're dressed," Sarah said with a laugh. "That's a lot different than the last time we were together."

Chuck stepped between them to change the subject before this got out of hand. "Ladies," he said. "When is the last time you were at the zoo?"

Before today, suggesting that they go to the zoo would have had Sarah yawning. But she quickly found that she was having fun. They had a great time walking around the zoo. Chuck kept the girls in stitches all day by imitating every animal that they saw. After a couple of hours they decided to take a lunch break in the café. Chuck went up to the counter to get their meals while the girls sat at a table.

Angel turned to Sarah as soon as they were seated. "Thanks," she said softly.

At least now Sarah was relaxed. The smile that had been forced earlier was now natural. "For what?" she asked.

"For letting me spend so much time with your husband," Angel said. "I've been having a blast."

"So I hear," Sarah said. "You're very welcome. It got me out of having to go deep sea fishing."

That got them both laughing. "You have to go sometime," Angel protested. "That's exactly what I thought. I didn't think I would like it either but it was the most fun I've ever had in my life."

Sarah wasn't convinced. "I'll take your word for it," she said, still laughing.

Angel suddenly became more serious. "I was afraid that this would be weird," she said. "Now I'm almost looking forward to it. I think that it's great what you're willing to do to make him happy. He's such a great guy. You're not jealous?"

Sarah fought the blush from being noticeable as she realized what Angel was almost looking forward to. She paused for a moment to consider the question. "Well, Angel," she said. "Here's the truth. I would do anything to make him happy. I'm working hard not to be jealous. I trust Chuck. I know that he cares for you a lot. I know that he is getting you into a rehab program. With Chuck, what you see is what you get. You're right; he is a really great guy." After all, that was all the truth… just maybe not the entire truth.

"You really love him," Angel said. "Don't you? You don't know how lucky you are."

That got Sarah smiling again. "I know exactly how lucky I am," she said. "I worship him. He's my very life. If you have told me a year ago that I would feel for any man like I'm feeling, I would have said you were crazy. There's nothing I wouldn't do for him. I'll even let him be friends with another beautiful woman. There might be times when I get jealous, but I'm going to fight that feeling as much as I can."

Angel smiled back. "He really loves you too," she said. "Trust me. I've tried every way to get him into bed that I can think of. He's shot me down every time. It doesn't bother him seeing you fucking Matlin? Are you still seeing him?"

Sarah smiled at Angel's protective instinct coming through. Chuck was right. She already knew too much. There was no way out of this than to tell her and hope for the best. "I've never fucked Matlin," she protested. "Yeah, that would bother him a ton. What you saw was for a reason. It's probably better if Chuck explains that to you."

"That's good," Angel said. "The man is an animal. I heard the full description of what he was going to demand from you once he had you hooked and his slave. I've been there."

Sarah smiled. Talk about the obvious. "You'd like to be more than friends," she said. "Wouldn't you?"

To Angel's credit she looked directly into Sarah's eyes. "If things were different," she said. "Sure. But I understand the situation. I'm just happy to have what I can have. Please don't take that away from me."

"Don't worry about that," Sarah said with a smile. "I won't. For one thing, you're too important to Chuck. I trust you."

Just them Chuck came back with a tray overloaded with food and drinks. Both Sarah and Angel just looked at him for a minute. Then they both burst into laughter at the same time.

"What?" Chuck said self-consciously. "Is there something on my face?"

They were both still laughing. Sarah started to distribute the food. "No," she said. "Angel and I were just talking about how lucky we both are."

After they were finished eating, Angel excused herself for a coke break. As soon as she was gone, Sarah slid next to Chuck and kissed him. His face turned red as he felt her tongue brush past his lips. The kiss which lasted for a long moment quickly turned passionate. When the kiss finally broke, Chuck smiled.

"What was that for?" he whispered shyly, looking around to see if people noticed.

"What?" asked Sarah mockingly. "Can't a girl show her new husband how much she loves him?"

"I guess," Chuck agreed with a smile. "But you just showed the whole zoo."

"I know," Sarah said as she stood up. "You were right about Angel. You have to tell her the truth. I'm sorry but I have to go. Enjoy the rest of the day and come over to Casey's as soon as you drop Angel off. Apologize to her for me, will you? Tell her that I had fun and can't wait for the next time we get together. Tell her that this shows how much I trust her. She'll understand what you mean."

"I'll tell her," Chuck said, the concern in his voice plain. "She'll like that. But why are you leaving? Is something wrong?"

"I'm afraid so," Sarah said with a sigh.

"Carina had to sleep with Scott Wilson today."

x-x-x-x-x


	13. Big Trouble

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Big Trouble**

x-x-x-x-x

When Angel returned to the table, she saw Chuck sitting alone. She looked around for a minute. "Where is Sarah?" she finally asked.

"She had to leave," Chuck said as he got up from his seat to meet her. "She got a call from Carina. I'm not sure exactly but it was some emergency. She told me to tell you how sorry she is. She really had a good time and she's looking forward to the next time we all get together."

"That's nice," Angel said with a smile.

"She also wanted me to tell you something else," Chuck said with his own smile. "She wanted me to tell you that this shows just how much she trusts you."

Angel did a double take. "She said that?" she asked.

"Yup," was Chuck's reply. "She said that you would know what she meant."

"That's nice." Angel said with her eyes shining. "Tell her I said thank you. Will you do that?"

"Of course," Chuck said with a laugh as he extended his hand. "But you can tell her yourself. I told you that you're going to be friends. Are you ready to see the rest of the zoo?"

Angel matched Chuck's laughing as she took his hand. "Sure," she said. "Where did we leave off?"

Chuck and Angel spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the remainder of the zoo. As they walked from exhibit to exhibit they held hands like a couple of teenagers, swinging them as they walked. Naturally, Chuck continued his routine of imitating every animal. At the lion exhibit, his imitation drew quite a crowd as he paced back and forth, occasionally throwing his head back in a roar.

Angel hid her face in her hands while she sat on the bench watching him. Of course she was giggling helplessly. She was still laughing as they walked away. "You really had me fooled," she said. "And here I thought you were shy."

"I am shy," Chuck insisted as he grabbed her hand. "But we're having a good time, aren't we?"

Angel's face was absolutely beaming. "Yes, Chuck," she said. "We're having a great time. I never thought I could have such a good time."

"Isn't this better than getting high?" Chuck asked.

That stopped any laughing. Angel's smile instantly disappeared as she looked at the ground sadly.

Chuck felt an inch tall. He stopped and put his arm around her. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wasn't taking a shot or trying to make you feel bad. I'm sorry if you took it that way. It was a serious question. I really want to know. Isn't this more fun than getting high?"

Angel rested her head on Chuck's chest. "Yes," she said. "It's a lot better."

Chuck gently rubbed Angel's back as they continued their embrace. "Then I have some good news," he said. "Carina was able to call in a few favors and she got you into the top treatment center in the country. It's in Malibu. We'll drive you up there next week."

Angel pulled back to look at him. "That sounds great," she said. "But, come on. Malibu? I can't afford that. That's the kind of place that movie stars go to."

Chuck just held her tight and continued rubbing her back. "Don't worry about that," he said soothingly. "Carina already took care of all of that. This is a done deal. Your job is just to get better. Okay?"

"If you say so," Angel said softly as she snuggled into him.

"I definitely say so," Chuck said with a grin. "I'm sorry if I spoiled the mood. Let's get back to the zoo. You haven't seen my imitation of the gorillas yet."

Angel couldn't keep the laugh in. It came out pretty wet. "Oh lord," she said. "I can't wait to see what kind of crowd that will attract."

"Come on," Chuck said as he playfully grabbed Angel's hand and led her away. "Let's find out."

Needless to say, Chuck's gorilla imitation was a crowd favorite.

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as Chuck and Angel got into the car after their day at the zoo, Angel turned to Chuck and grabbed his hand. "I had a blast today," she said with a warm smile. "Thank you."

"Are you kidding?" Chuck asked. "I should be thanking you. I can't remember when I've had more fun than the past few days."

"I always have a blast when I'm with you," Angel said softly. "You're the best friend I've ever had. I hope that you know that. I would do anything for you."

"You know that I care for you too," Chuck said just as softly. "Don't you?"

Angel was silent for a long moment. "If you care for me," she finally said slowly. "Will you be honest with me?"

"I don't know what you mean," Chuck protested.

Angel was plainly frustrated. "Come on, Chuck," she said, probably a little harsher than she intended. "You know exactly what I mean. This isn't about some three way sex fantasy. Why was Sarah pretending to be a coke addict and coming on to Matlin… but she never screwed him? Why is Carina, a woman I've met one time, getting me into a rehab center that caters to movie stars?"

"This is really bugging you," Chuck said with a soft laugh. "Isn't it?"

Angel nodded.

"Okay, Angel," Chuck said softly. "I'll tell you the whole story. But I don't want to do it in the car. Let's go get something to eat. Are you hungry?"

"I could eat," Angel said.

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck pulled into the first family style restaurant that he saw. Since it was a little after the dinner rush there was no wait for a table. The place was actually fairly quiet. After they were led to a booth in a corner of the restaurant, the waitress quickly brought their coffee and took their orders. Since the evening air was starting to get a little cooler, the coffee really tasted good. As soon as she left Chuck smiled at Angel and wordlessly reached across the table and offered both of his hands. Angel eyes lit up as she quickly responded by grabbing them.

"Are you ready to hear the story?' Chuck asked with a smile.

Angel just looked at him expectantly. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "I've been having such a good time."

"This isn't bad," Chuck said with a sigh. "I was going to tell you anyway. But before I start, I want to say something. I need you to listen to me carefully. I want you to look me in the eye so that you'll know that I'm telling you the truth."

Angel's look told him to continue.

"I care for you a great deal." Chuck said softly. "I do. You're an amazing person. I would say that I love you but I don't want you to misunderstand. I'm your friend. I would do anything for you. And nothing I'm about to tell you is going to change that. Do you believe me?"

Angel nodded with tears starting to form in her eyes.

"I'm afraid for you, Angel," Chuck continued. "If things stay the way they are, within six months I'll be going to your funeral. You know I'm right."

Angel nodded sadly as the tears started to flow down her cheeks.

Chuck squeezed Angel's hands tight. "So you have to promise me," he said. "Promise me that you will fight to not let that happen. That would crush me. Will you promise me?"

"Yes," Angel whispered. "I promise."

"Okay," said Chuck. "Here goes. The reason that Carina can get you into this world famous rehab center for free is that she was an undercover D.E.A. agent. They owe her a ton of favors over the years. And the reason that Sarah and I were at the club and at those parties was to help Carina bust Joel Matlin."

"You're a cop?" Angel said in surprise.

That got Chuck laughing. "Angel," he said. "Do I look like a cop? No, I'm not a cop. I'm not anything. Even Carina's not a cop any more. Her and Sarah work for the government. Exactly what they do is secret. I can't say any more about that. But the only reason they were going after Matlin was that he was using some of his drug profits to fund terrorism. I'm sorry. I know that he was your friend."

Angel did a double take. "Friend?" she asked sarcastically. "He's not my friend. I hate him. He is an evil, sadistic son of a bitch. I can't tell you the sick, perverted things he makes people do to get his coke. I had to sit and listen to the detailed plans of what he was going to do once he had Sarah helpless."

Chuck had to force himself to calm down. That was hard to hear. But Sarah was safe. "Well I guess that it won't make you cry to hear that he's dead?" Chuck asked.

"I'm glad," Angel said. "But what does that have to do with me?"

"Nothing really," Chuck said. "We probably would have never seen each other again. But there is another terrorist that Carina is following. His name is Scott Wilson. And you were…"

"I was dating him through the escort service," Angel interrupted.

"Exactly," Chuck said with a grin while squeezing Angel's hands. "You seem to attract terrorists. So that first night at the hotel, I intercepted you so Carina could take your place with Wilson. She has been dating him ever since then trying to figure out what he is up to."

Angel looked at the floor. "So that's why we went to Disneyland and fishing," she said sadly.

"No," Chuck insisted firmly. "Look at me, Angel. We did those things because they were fun. We're going to keep doing those things."

"So," said Angel sadly. "You must want something from me."

"Well," Chuck said. "It's not exactly like that. But Carina has to go to one of Scott Wilson's pool parties. It will be very dangerous for her because she won't be able to wear a wire or carry any weapons. If they find out that she's undercover, she's a goner. We're hoping that you can tell us something about these parties that we can use to help Carina be safer."

"I get it," Angel said sadly. "This is a deal. If I cooperate, you'll send me to rehab."

Chuck had to work hard to keep from raising his voice in frustration. "No, Angel," he said. "You don't get it at all. You're going to rehab because you're my friend, because I love you, and because I don't want to go to your funeral. It has nothing to do with if you help us. Don't get me wrong. I hope that you'll help us. I do. I think that it's the right thing to do. You'd be helping us stop some pretty evil people. But even if you don't, I'll still love you."

"Really?" Angel asked with tears now flowing freely.

"Really."

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as Chuck stepped into Casey's place he could feel the tension. Sarah and Carina were at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. Casey was sitting on the couch doing what he always did then he was tense… cleaning his gun. "About time," he said with a growl. "Maybe we can get started."

Chuck walked over to where Carina was sitting and gave her a hug. "How are you doing?" he asked softly as he rubbed her arm.

Casey did a double take. "Come on," he said loudly. "Can we stop with the encounter group crap? Okay. She had sex with a terrorist. She did her job. It happens. Can we forget about it?"

Chuck looked at Casey closely. "I thought that kind of stuff didn't bother you?" he asked.

"It doesn't," Casey said dismissively. "You need to grow up."

"It sure sounds like it does," Sarah said firmly. "Maybe it would be better to get this all out into the open."

Casey threw the rag he was holding across the room. "Okay," he shouted. "What do you want me to say? Do you want me to say that it killed me to listen to them going at it? Okay, it did. Do you want me to say that I'll never feel the same way about Carina? Okay, I won't. Are you happy now?"

Carina's cry of anguish was unintelligible.

"I'm sorry, Carina," Casey said. "I really don't think that we can be together anymore."

Carina's shoulders slumped as she walked over to face him. "Really?" she whispered. "Can we talk about this? Please."

"I think that it's best if I get a hotel room for tonight," Casey said.

Sarah threw herself into Chuck's arms with tears running down her cheeks. "This is what I was afraid of," she whispered.

It was an awful situation. Sarah wasn't a crier. Chuck was trying to comfort her but he had his own tears to contend with. Suddenly he noticed that both Casey and Carina were shaking with laughter. They had to support each other to keep from falling to the floor.

Chuck and Sarah were too stunned to do anything for a few moments except watch them laugh. "You jerks," Sarah said with a smile beginning to form as soon as she realized what was going on. "Very fucking funny."

Carina struggled to compose herself. "That was so great," she said. "You guys fell for that hook, line, and sinker. I knew that you would when Sarah warned me to be careful on the phone yesterday."

Casey joined the sport. "You should have seen her in the car today," he said as he wiped the tears out of his eyes. "She asked me if I wanted to take a walk."

That started Casey and Carina into another round of uncontrollable laughing.

"But I don't understand," Chuck said haltingly. "You mean that Casey's not upset?"

So now Sarah was no longer seeing the humor of her friends so overtly laughing at her. "No, Chuck," she said. "They've been playing us."

Casey was trying hard to control himself. "How could I be upset?" he asked. "I'm so proud of her that I could burst. She sacrificed for the greater good. I've never loved her more."

"Thanks, sweetie," Carina said while still laughing. She turned to face Chuck and Sarah. "You should have seen the looks on your faces. I think that Sarah was actually crying."

"Crying?" Casey mocked. "Not super spy Sarah Walker."

That sent then into yet another round of laughter.

"I was not," Sarah insisted with a pout. "And it's Sarah Bartowski, thank you. You guys just wait. When we get you back, you're not going to know what hit you."

"Maybe I'll have to take a walk," Casey said laughing as he mocked her.

"Oh, I don't know, sweetie," Carina added. "I'd be careful if I was you."

This brought on yet more laughter.

Sarah had witnessed about enough. "Fine," she said through gritted teeth as she grabbed Chuck's hand. "This is no way to be abused when you're supposed to be on your honeymoon. We'll be in the bedroom necking. Let us know when you're ready to be professional. But I would knock on the door first before coming in unless you want a show."

"Wait," choked out Carina as she struggled to speak.

"I think that might be the most fun I've ever had," Casey said with tears streaming down his face from laughing so hard.

"Okay," Carina said after a minute as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Okay. We're sorry. You're right. Let's get to work."

"Wow," Casey said as he tried to get control. "Okay. You know the situation. Wilson wants Carina to spend a couple of days with him and then go to his pool party."

"So that means that we're right back in the same situation that we were a few days ago," Sarah pointed out.

"Now's the time that we could really use Angel," Casey said dryly. "What do you think that Casanova's chances are?"

That got Chuck grinning. "Well actually," he said. "You'll be happy to know that Casanova has already come through. I've talked to Angel. She knows the situation and she's willing to help us."

Sarah turned to Chuck excitedly. "Really, Chuck?" she asked. "That's great. When can we talk to her?"

"It's funny you should say that," Chuck said with an even bigger grin.

"She's waiting in the car."

x-x-x-x-x


	14. Looks Like an Angel

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Looks Like an Angel**

x-x-x-x-x

Scott Wilson was sitting at his desk in his hotel suite looking over some paperwork. There were three other people in the room. One of the men was performing a sweep for electronic devices. The other two waited patiently for the sweep to be completed.

The technician was being very thorough. After all, with this crowd it was well known that you rarely lived to make your second mistake. "The room's clean, sir," he finally said.

"Great," replied Wilson crisply. ""You're dismissed."

As soon as the man left the room Wilson turned his attention to the other men. "Okay, Jones," he said. "I assume that your grin means you have something exciting to tell me. What did you find out?"

Jones nodded. This wasn't a time for any gloating. Wilson had a reputation for being impatient. "Yes, sir," he replied. "It turns out that this Carina isn't actually a hooker. She is actually Agent Carina Miller. She is with the D.E.A."

"The D.E.A.?" Wilson asked. "What would they want with us?"

"We're not sure," Jones replied. "Miller is currently on some high level special assignment that our guy doesn't have the clearance to look at. It's possible that this has nothing to do with the D.E.A. She has had quite a distinguished career. She is a deep cover specialist. She is an expert in hand to hand combat and small caliber weapons. She is one of the top agents in the field, but is something of a cowboy. She has been passed over for promotion several times because of her tendency to take unacceptable risks on missions."

"How confident are you of your sources?" Wilson asked skeptically. "We can't afford to be wrong."

"We're very confident, sir," Jones said crisply. "We have a man on the inside. He hasn't been wrong yet."

"That makes sense," Wilson said with a growing smile. "She is a full notch better looking than the girls we usually get. She is coming tomorrow to spend the night. She must have some backup someplace… is almost certainly bugged."

"Yes, sir," Jones said. "Has she learned anything of value so far?"

Now Wilson was grinning. "She thinks that she has," he said. "She's going to find out that her knowledge of my preferences in bed is incomplete. Maybe it's time to ratchet up her education."

That got the men all laughing.

After a moment, Wilson got serious. "Okay," he said thoughtfully. "This is what we'll do. I'll get her out of her clothes. Once that happens I want you to find the bug and lock it in a soundproof box. That way, whoever is listening won't hear anything but the bug will still be active. She'll be isolated and helpless."

"I understand, sir," Jones said.

"This is going to be fun," Wilson said to himself with a chuckle. "You can see these government morons coming from a mile away. Since she's undercover, she is trying to get close to me. That means that she won't turn down anything that I ask her to do."

"That's true, sir," Jones said.

Now Wilson was openly laughing. "Let's see how far we can push that envelope," he said. "I'm going to enjoy this. A lot."

"Yes, sir," Jones said, his smile turning into a full grin.

"I'll bet she's not alone," Wilson said. "Run a check on anyone that the agency is sending us. Do a detailed check on anyone who has been with them less than one month."

"Yes, sir."

"Jackson," Wilson said as he addressed the other man. "Are we ready?"

"Yes sir," replied Jackson. "All of the gas canisters are ready. We will be able to distribute them after the party Thursday. We should be ready for the attacks on Saturday."

"Excellent," Wilson said. "Do we have confirmed targets?"

"Yes, sir," Jackson replied. "We have teams waiting in Columbus, Los Angeles, Ann Arbor, Happy Valley, Miami, Gainesville, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, and South Bend."

"Do we have an estimate on casualties?" Wilson asked.

"Yes, sir," Jackson said. "Assuming a ninety percent fatality rate, we're going to kill a little over eight hundred thousand people in the first wave of attacks. The only question mark is the Rose Bowl. Since it's in a different time zone, they may be prepared to stop that attack. The others will happen within a ten minute window. There will be no time to issues any warnings. But it's worth the risk. There will be over one hundred thousand people there. If everything goes well, we might hit a million."

Wilson nodded "Well done," he said. "We have a chance to make history here. We owe it to our people to strike back at these imperialists. I won't tolerate any mistakes."

"Yes sir," said Jackson and Jones simultaneously as they got up to leave.

"Oh, and men," Wilson said. "Let's think of a really special way for our agent friend to die. Something that when they find her body tells those bastards in Washington exactly what she went through. We might as well use all of your training in how to deliver pain. Maybe they'll think twice next time before they mess with us. Maybe the next agent won't be so eager to volunteer."

Jones was grinning. "Yes, sir," he said. "Trust me."

"I have just the thing."

x-x-x-x-x

When Chuck went out to get Angel from the car, Casey turned to Sarah. "How much can we trust this Angel?" he asked skeptically.

Sarah took a moment to consider the question. "Well," she said slowly. "I don't know about trust. I do think that she genuinely loves Chuck. I think that would mean a lot in terms of loyalty. She would do pretty much anything he asked her."

"She's right about that," Carina piped in. "The girl is plainly lovesick. Maybe it's contagious."

Sarah smiled at her friend's mild shot. "I'm just not sure how much that extends to the rest of us," she said. "She may not be too sad to have me out of the way. So I guess it would be smart to play it safe. We won't tell her anything about the mission. And certainly not anything about the intersect."

"That won't be hard," Casey said with a growl. "There's not much we can tell her anyway. We don't know anything."

Carina turned to Sarah. "Aren't you at all worried about Chuck?" she asked gently. "I mean here you have a beautiful woman who, by your own admission, would eagerly do anything that he would ask. That's a lot of temptation for any man."

Sarah smiled and shook her head firmly.

"But Sarah," Carina said a little more insistently. "Think about our training. That's exactly the position we try and get men into. I know that Chuck loves you. I'm not questioning that. It just doesn't seem fair to subject him to that level of temptation. That's a pretty big bubble you have going. I'd hate for one moment of weakness to burst it and mess up the rest of your life."

"I trust Chuck," Sarah said with a beaming smile. "I have zero worry. That's the one thing in life I can be sure of. He would never betray me."

Just then Chuck led Angel by the hand into the room. She was obviously nervous as her eyes darted from person to person.

As soon as Angel was comfortably in the room, Sarah walked up to her and put her arm around her. "Don't be nervous," Sarah said. "We're all friends here."

As soon as Sarah released Angel, Carina stepped up and embraced her much like Sarah had. "Thank you for helping me," she said softly. "I get that this is hard for you. Yes, I'm a D.E.A. Agent. I understand that probably makes you question things. But your being Chuck's friend makes you my friend. You're doing a good thing. I'll never forget it."

Chuck, who was still holding Angel's hand, gave it a squeeze for reassurance. "See?" he said with a broad smile as he led Angel to the couch. "Didn't I tell you there was nothing to be afraid of? Just as long as you stay away from Casey."

That broke the tension as they all, including Casey, shared a laugh.

Sarah took a seat on the couch next to Chuck. Chuck was in the middle with Angel on his other side. Casey and Carina took seats on the loveseat that was to the side of the couch.

"Angel," Sarah said. "Can we ask you a few questions?"

Angel just nodded.

"Can you tell us about the meetings at the hotel?" Sarah asked. "How many of them have you been to?"

Angel took a moment to think things through. "I think about ten," she replied. "Maybe twelve."

"And can you tell us about them?" Sarah asked.

"They were all very similar," Angel said. "There were always about six men there. Each man had a lady assigned. We would have dinner and drinks. It was just social. After a while, the ladies were asked to leave."

"Any sex?" Sarah asked.

Angel shook her head. "No," she said. "Not at the hotel. We would just flirt. We were told to make the men feel wanted. I would smile and bat my eyes. Laugh at their jokes, that sort of thing. There was a lot of sexual banter. Some of it was quite suggestive. Sometimes a man would put his hand on my leg. Sometimes it would get pretty high. And I never made a move to stop him. But there wasn't any sex. Now at the pool parties …"

"We'll talk about that in a second," Carina interrupted. "Was it always new men at the hotel or were there any repeats?"

Again, Angel took a long moment to consider the question. "Scott Wilson was always there, of course," she said. "There were maybe a couple of men that I saw more than once but I'd have to say they were mostly new."

"Did you ever hear anything about what they were discussing?" Sarah asked.

"Not really," Angel replied. "It was just social stuff when I was there. The men always stayed behind. I'm guessing they talked business after dinner."

"Tell us about the pool parties." Carina said. "How many of them have you been too? Do you know the place?"

Angel nodded. "I've been to two," she said with a growing smile. "They were held at this huge mansion. It was right on the water. A real lifestyles of the rich and famous kind of place. I don't know the address but I could find it in a car."

"What were they like?" asked Sarah.

Now Angel was grinning. "Picture the wildest orgy you can imagine," she said. "It made one of Matlin's parties look like a Sunday School class. All of the ladies were brought in on a bus. The men would already be there in some sort of meeting. We would lie around the pool. Then when the men got out, it got pretty wild. There was music and lots of booze. Sometimes you were assigned to a specific man, but you mostly just waited for one to approach you. Most of the women would already be naked. Then, every once in a while, one of the men would ask you to dance or go inside with him… or just go for it in the pool. I'm just guessing but I think that the parties were some kind of reward. Most of the men at the parties, I recognized from the hotel."

"Do you think that you could get me into that party?" Sarah asked.

"Sure," Angel replied quickly. "That would be easy. They were always asking us to bring our friends. The more, the merrier, they said. But you know what you would have to do. I didn't think that you were a pro. Would you be willing to be passed around like that?"

Chuck was grinning. "That's actually an excellent question," he teased.

Sarah was forced to return his grin. "No, Angel," she finally said. "I wouldn't. A year ago, I might have considered it. Not now. I'm married. But we still have to figure out a way to back Carina up."

"That wouldn't work anyway," Chuck said. "How is having two naked, weaponless agents in there both on your backs going to help?"

Carina was grinning. "Actually, we probably wouldn't be on our backs. I'm guessing that your knees is the preferred position at these things, right, Angel?"

Angel just looked at her. Oh, she was right. But how could they be joking about this?

Casey ignored Carina. "He's right," he said. "How are you going to be able to help Carina? You'd be just as defenseless. If it went to hell, I'd have to rescue both of you on my own."

"We have to figure something out," Sarah said. "At least I could watch her back."

Angel started laughing. "Too bad you can't do the same thing you did with Matlin at his party," she said. "If Chuck was there, you could just make sure that you stayed with him. Judging by what I saw at Matlin's party, I assume he wouldn't mind that."

Judging by the looks the spies were sharing it was clear that Angel had just hit a home run. "That's brilliant," Casey said. "Why didn't we think of that? If Chuck was one of the men, he could carry the wire and some weapons. If it went to hell, Sarah and Carina could get their weapons from Chuck. I'll get a hold of headquarters and see if they can get Chuck invited."

"But wait a minute," Angel protested. "I was just kidding. Isn't this dangerous? I thought you said that these guys were dangerous." She turned to Chuck. "I thought that you said that you weren't a cop?"

"Angel," Sarah said. "None of us are cops. Well, maybe Carina is technically. But Chuck sure isn't. He's just a regular guy. He has always volunteered to do these kinds of things to help keep me safe. He's sort of a hero."

"Don't worry," Chuck said as he squeezed Angel's hand for reassurance. "Sarah would never let anybody hurt me."

Angel made no effort to keep the skepticism from her voice. "And how is she going to do that?" she asked. "I mean, no offense Sarah, but look at you. You're gorgeous and everything but the truth is, I could probably kick your ass. Aren't you worried about Chuck? What are you going to do against a bunch of terrorists?"

Sarah grinned at her skepticism. Yeah, there was also a pang or two at Angel's obvious concern for her husband. But for now, humor won out. "I think I'll do okay," she said as she quickly pulled out a knife. "I think that it's a little too dark in here." She threw the knife into the light switch on the other side of the room.

"That's better," Sarah teased, looking at Angel with a sly smile as the light came on. "Don't you think?"

Casey wasn't impressed. "Damn it, Walker," he said in exasperation. "Every time you show off, I have to replace a light switch."

Angel looked at the knife protruding from the switch and then back to Sarah grinning at her. "Holy shit," she whispered under her breath. "How did you do that?"

"Um, Angel," Chuck protested.

"You're kind of hurting my hand."

x-x-x-x-x


	15. Devil in Disguise

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Devil in Disguise**

x-x-x-x-x

Angel couldn't tear herself away from the sight of the knife sticking out of the light switch. After a minute she began to shake noticeably. Chuck felt her shaking and quickly put his arm around her and rubbed her arm. "Angel, what's wrong?" he asked.

Angel took a long moment to answer. She kept her gaze fixed on the knife. "This is real," she finally said.

Carina got up and walked over to where Angel was sitting. She knelt down so that she was at Angel's eye level. She made sure to keep the relaxed smile on her face. "This is as real as it gets," she said. "But don't worry. We know what we're doing. We're going to be okay. You're really helping us."

Angel shook her head. "There's too many of them," she protested. "Carina, there are like fifty men at these parties. How can the two of you fight off fifty men? Why don't you get a thousand FBI dudes to take that place apart? Going in alone is too dangerous. I don't want to see anything happen to Chuck."

"Relax," Carina said. "Trust me. The thousand FBI dudes are a phone call away. But what would they do? As of now, we don't have much evidence that they've committed a crime. That is what Sarah and I have to find out. This is what we do. Chuck will be safe."

"How many knives can Sarah throw?" Angel asked skeptically.

That got Carina grinning. "Knives aren't her only weapon," she teased. "In fact, they're not her main one. The knives are last resort. Angel, you understand men. Tell me that there's a man alive who wouldn't willingly stab himself in the throat if it meant he was going to get a better look at what she's hiding under that blouse."

That caused Sarah to pipe in… if only to change the subject. "Angel," she said. "You're worried about Chuck. I get that. Yesterday that would have made me jealous. Not today. It's sweet that you're so concerned. I'm happy that Chuck has such a devoted friend. I really am. But, trust me. I would never put Chuck in a position where he would get hurt. I love him too, you know."

"I know," Angel said quickly in a shocked tone. "Sarah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything. I'm worried about you too."

Sarah smiled. "It's okay," she said. "Like I said, I'm not jealous. I know you didn't mean anything bad. This is a lot to hear all at once."

"Bartowski," Casey said. "Why don't you take Angel home? We'll talk to headquarters and see how they want us to proceed. You can meet Walker back at your place."

As they stood up to leave Sarah stepped up to Angel and hugged her. "Don't worry," she whispered into Angel's ear. "This will all work out."

"It always does."

x-x-x-x-x

In the car, Angel was still obviously freaked out. "How are you so calm?" Angel asked. "Don't you know how dangerous this can be?"

Chuck tried to keep it light. "I'm used to it," he said with a laugh. "If I had a dollar for every time I've been in this situation."

Angel wasn't buying it. "But I don't understand," she insisted. "You say these people are terrorists. What don't you just arrest them? You don't even know what their plan is. It could be anything."

Chuck grabbed her hand. "And that's exactly why we have to find out," he said. "That's the only way to stop them. The only way to do that is by infiltrating them. If they have a clue that they are being targeted, they'll just lay low for a while. If we arrested them now, they'd be out before we were done filling out the paperwork and tipped off that we were targeting them."

Angel shook her head again. "If Sarah loves you so much how could she let you risk your life?" she asked. "I wouldn't let you anywhere near that party. It would kill me if something happened to you."

That got Chuck laughing. "She doesn't see it as a risk," he said. "She is confident that she can handle anything that comes up. So far, she has. You saw her throw a knife. But that's only a small portion of what she's capable of doing. It's true that she can make men melt by just looking at them. But when it comes down to it, she's a total badass, the very best that there is in doing what she does. And Carina is almost as good."

Finally that got a smile. "So," Angel said. "You're the real life Mr. And Mrs. Smith, right?"

That got Chuck laughing harder. "I don't know about that," he said. "Sarah is a badass. I'm just a regular guy. It's more like The Lone Ranger and her trusty sidekick, Chucko."

That got Angel laughing too. "She's Batman," she said. "And you're Robin. The boy wonder."

"Come on," Chuck protested with a groan. "The boy wonder? Now you've got me in tights. What kind of man wears tights? I hate tights."

Angel was struggling to get the words out between laughing. "Okay," she said. "She's Captain Kirk and you're Scotty."

"More pow'r, capt'n," Chuck teased in a Scottish brogue. "I need more pow'r."

They both succumbed to the overwhelming laughter to the point where Chuck was finding it hard to drive. After a few minutes, Chuck was finally able to compose himself as he pulled up to Angel's building. "Now you're talking," he said. "A fellow trekkie. Why couldn't I have met you two years ago?"

Angel was still laughing. "I guess you don't spend enough time in strip clubs," she said.

They got out of the car. "That's true," Chuck said thoughtfully as he stepped up to embrace Angel. "Maybe there's a life lesson there. I have a confession. I'd never been in one of those places before. Casey had to teach me how to act."

"No kidding?" Angel teased sarcastically. "You were a fish out of water. It was annoying… a little cute… but still annoying."

Chuck changed the subject to stop her teasing. "I'll give you a call tomorrow," he said. "I don't know what is going to happen. They may need your help again."

Angel held Chuck closely for a long moment. Finally she sighed. "Do you want to come in for a minute?" she asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Chuck said. "Do you? I really need to get home."

"From where I'm standing, it's a very good idea," Angel insisted. "Come on, Chuck. You're not really married to the female version of Rambo. You're not telling me everything. Who is Bartowski? I thought your name is Carmichael. Why is she Walker? You don't even have the same last names. If there is some covert reason… you know what? I don't even care anymore. Chuck, it sounds like she isn't going to be home for a while. And I'll never tell her. Whatever happens, she doesn't need to know. It sounds like Sarah and I are a lot alike. We both show men our tits. You've already seen mine. Maybe I can come up with something else to show you. Come in for a while, let's actually get between the sheets, and let me take care of you… as an amateur."

Chuck had to smile at how perceptive she was. "Angel, please stop," he said firmly. "There are some things I'm not telling you. I'm sorry, I can't. But Bartowski is my real name. Sarah and I really are married. We got married three weeks ago in Vegas. I don't blame you for not believing it. Sometimes I even have to pinch myself. Walker is Sarah's maiden name. Casey is just used to calling her that. So, yeah, you're right. She has been willing to show men her tits. We've both been willing to do things for the job that probably are outside a normal marriage. You saw her with Matlin. That was hard for me. Watching you give me lap dances was hard for her. But we've drawn a line at actual sex. I'm not cheating on my wife. End of story. Even if she didn't know, I'd know. If I did that, I could never live with myself. I wouldn't be the same guy. I wouldn't deserve her. Or you for that matter."

"I'm sorry for being skeptical," Angel said. "Please don't be mad."

Chuck kissed the top of Angel's head. "I'm not mad," he said. "I get that you're confused. I think I would judge you if you weren't skeptical. It's too bizarre to make up. I'm sorry that I can't tell you everything. But this part is true. I'm your friend. I love you and I'll always be here for you. But we have to stay friends. I'll do anything for you that is within the confines of being friends. Do you believe me?"

Angel made no move to break the embrace. "Yes," she whispered.

"Your 'Mr. Right' is out there somewhere," Chuck said while rubbing Angel's back. "I promise. Why don't you let me help you find him?"

That got Angel snickering. "What are you going to do?" she asked skeptically. "Fix me up with one of your friends?"

Chuck started laughing again as he continued to rub her back. "Oh hell no," he said. "My friends aren't nearly good enough for you. Once you meet them, you'll understand. Trust me on this one. I want you to find someone but I'm sure as hell not going to let you settle. No, we'll keep looking. He's out there."

Angel pulled back from the embrace to look Chuck in the eye.

"I hope so."

x-x-x-x-x

Carina and Sarah sat at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee while Casey made arrangements with Washington. After a few minutes, Graham and Beckman came online. They were not in the same room but showed up on the monitor in split screens. Both looked as if they would much rather be sleeping.

"Major Casey," Beckman said harshly. "Do you know what time it is here in the east?"

"Yes, ma'am" Casey said. "Sorry, ma'am. But we have a situation." Honestly, he wasn't all that sorry. They were routinely asked to risk their lives. Beckman was upset about losing some sleep?

"Where's Bartowski?" Graham asked with a yawn.

Sarah still wasn't very happy with Graham over the Bryce situation. She made no effort to keep the sarcasm from her voice. "Here, sir," she said.

Graham knew Sarah well enough to understand that her tone intentionally bordered on insubordinate, and the wrong word would send her across the border. "Cute," he said. "I meant the other one. Your new husband, Mr. Bartowski."

Sarah knew Graham well enough to know that he was afraid of saying the wrong thing. At least she had gotten him to acknowledge Chuck as her husband. That was progress. So she took most of the sarcasm from her voice. "Yes, sir," she said. "He is taking Angel home."

Of course, Beckman was clueless of all this subtext. "The drug addict, hooker?" she asked derisively.

"Yes, ma'am," Sarah said.

"So," Beckman said. "What is this situation that you need help with?"

Carina saw the growing frustration on Sarah's face and stepped in. "Well, ma'am," she said. "As you know, we are attempting to penetrate Scott Wilson's organization. We think he is up to something big. We just don't know what. I've been successful at getting close to Wilson but I haven't been able to get into any meetings where business is discussed. We need to get someone in those meetings."

"Wilson's organization solicits donations from legitimate businesses all the time," Graham said. "It would be fairly easy to get someone invited to his meeting posing as a rich businessman. Who would you have in mind? Larkin could be made available. You have a history of working well together."

Sarah turned down her righteous indignation a notch. That was a horrible idea. She didn't want Bryce anywhere close to this. "Well, sir," she said. "We were thinking that Chuck would be the best candidate. He's believable as a businessman and maybe he'll flash on someone."

"Wouldn't that be a little risky?" Beckman asked. "We sure as hell don't want to take reckless chances with the Intersect."

"Carina will be there," Sarah said. "Casey and I will be in the car, listening. This is a public place. We don't think that there's much danger here. We're really hoping that Chuck can get himself invited to Wilson's party on Thursday. That's where we think the real action is going down."

"Still," Beckman said thoughtfully. "I would feel a lot better if someone else was there. Why don't we send Agent Walker as one of the escorts? I'll set it up with the agency. We'll use your Sarah Anderson alias."

"Yes ma'am," Casey said.

"What about this hooker?" Beckman asked sternly. "I've very uncomfortable with this situation. I don't trust her. We need her controlled. The last thing that we need is for her to show up and tip Wilson off. That could be fatal."

"I don't think that we have much to worry about, ma'am," Carina said. "She is cooperating. She has been a big help."

"I can keep her in the car with me," Casey said. "I can keep an eye on her while I'm monitoring the meeting. Maybe she can even help me piece together what's going on. She has been there before."

"Good," said Beckman. "Well you have your or…"

"But, ma'am," Sarah interrupted.

"Is there a problem, Agent Walker?" Beckman asked icily. "Or do you just have a problem seeing me get some sleep?"

"Well, ma'am," Sarah said. "It's just that the escorts are expected to really come on to the men at these things. I'm not sure that Chuck could handle seeing me in that situation."

"I suggest that you talk with him, Agent Walker," Beckman said harshly. "Where has he been for the past year? If he can't handle seeing you flirt with someone for a few minutes, we have a huge problem. It calls into question the entire viability of your team. I can't believe that we're having this discussion at this point in time. Am I understood?"

The last thing that Sarah wanted was to give them a reason to substitute Bryce. "Yes, ma'am," she said sadly. "You're right. I'll handle it."

"Good. You have your orders," Beckman said. "Dismissed."

As soon as the screen went blank Carina turned to Sarah. "What were you saying to Beckman?" she asked. "Why do you think that Chuck will have such a problem? He's seen you do a lot more than just flirt with other men tons of times. He may not like it but I think he'll understand."

"I know," Sarah said sadly. "He'll be okay."

Carina started grinning. "It's you," she said. "Tell me I'm wrong. You don't want to watch another woman come on to Chuck."

Sarah sighed and shook her head sadly as she looked at the floor.

"This sucks."

x-x-x-x-x

"I'm worried about you."

Chuck was just getting ready to walk into his apartment building where hopefully Sarah was waiting. He didn't see him blending into the shadows. He wasn't the last person he expected to see… then again, he wasn't expecting him. "Bryce," Chuck said. "What are you doing here?"

Bryce stepped out of the shadow. "I just told you," he said. "I'm worried about you."

Chuck choked back the snicker. He already knew pretty much what this was about. The reality was that it was the other way around. If Sarah caught Bryce here… well it wasn't going to go well for his old friend. He should have been worried about Bryce. Not surprisingly, he wasn't all that much. In fact, watching his badass wife bounce Bryce around the cars in the parking lot like a pinball might be a little entertaining. But explaining all that would take longer than this conversation would last… hopefully. And since he had perfected the idea of playing dumb… "What are you worried about?" he asked.

Bryce smiled at him. "You're too nice of a guy," he said. "Chuck, she's playing you. I did some digging. You know that the marriage in Vegas wasn't legal."

It probably wasn't the best time to tell Bryce about the very legal ceremony that had closed that loophole just yesterday. "So?" he asked. "What's your point?"

"She's not a normal girl," Bryce said. "You have to get that out of your head. She's not evil. She just doesn't look at things the same way you do. The last thing Sarah would ever allow herself to do would be to fall in love. To her, sex is a tool… a weapon. She just used it to get us a base in Qatar. She's using it to keep you controlled and me jealous. She's going to use it tomorrow to find out what some terrorists are up to."

Chuck shook his head. "You don't know her," he protested.

Bryce smiled as he turned to leave. "I'm afraid that it's you who doesn't know her," he corrected. "I'll prove it to you. She's just been ordered to go undercover tomorrow as a hooker. Guess what that means?"

"Let's see if she tells you."

x-x-x-x-x

When Chuck walked into the apartment, Sarah was waiting for him. They held each other wordlessly for several minutes. Chuck knew that it wasn't the time to tell her about Bryce, so he just squeezed her tight. Finally he broke the silence. "So what did Washington say?" he asked.

Sarah paused for a moment. "They are arranging for Charles Carmichael to attend tomorrow's meeting," she finally said. "Apparently, he is a rich businessman who Wilson is going to hit up for a donation."

In spite of the tension, that struck Chuck as funny. "That's good," he said with a grin. "As long as that's all he hits."

There is was. Sarah was in a very bad mood. This assignment was the last thing she wanted to do. But he could always make her laugh. "I'm afraid there's more," she said. Beckman wants me to attend as one of the girls. I'll be Sarah Anderson. I'm sorry."

Chuck's heart was beating out of his chest. It had taken her about a minute to tell him. Bryce couldn't have been more wrong. He wanted to go find him and rub it in his face. "Why are you sorry?" he asked.

Again, Sarah paused for a long moment. "A hooker is the worst cover for an assignment," she finally said. "You really don't have much wiggle room when the mark demands something."

Again, the ridiculousness struck Chuck as funny. "On the contrary," he teased. "I've seen you wiggle. You should charge extra for that."

That finally broke the tension and got Sarah laughing. "They want Angel to be in the car with Casey to help him understand what's going on," she continued. "They really don't trust her. They want Casey to keep an eye on her."

"I'll call her in the morning," Chuck said. "I'm sure she'll be okay with that. She'll want to be involved. I'll sell it as her way to help."

"I figured something like this was going to happen," Chuck said as he noticed Sarah's mood turn sad again. "Aren't we used to this? At least we'll get to work together again."

"This is different," Sarah explained. "When push came to shove I was always in control. I could always find some way to tell the mark no. Hookers aren't allowed to have headaches or not be in the mood. That means we're going to be at the same table and I'll be coming on to another man. Are you going to be okay with that?"

That got Chuck chuckling. "I'm not sure," he said. "It depends. How much coming on are you going to be doing? Just keep your hands on the table where I can always see then and we'll be fine."

"I really hate this," Sarah said with a sigh.

"Sarah," Chuck said thoughtfully. "I was just kidding. If I'm not used to this by now, I'm in big trouble. Don't worry about me. I understand that you're just acting. I'll get through it. You can make it up to me when we get home."

Chuck could tell that Sarah was still upset because she tightened her grip. "Okay, Sarah," he finally said a little more forcefully. "Something else is going on here. Tell me what's really wrong."

Sarah paused for a long moment. Finally she spoke. "I just hate this."

Chuck rubbed her back to let her know that he was listening.

"I hate that you have to see me like that," Sarah said with a sigh. "I hate that I have to see you with another woman. I'm tired of this life. Chuck, I'm ready to stop being a partner and start being a wife. When are we ever going to be a normal couple?"

Chuck knew that he couldn't laugh at her. That would be stupid. But there was no reason to be down. "I don't see normal being in our immediate future," he said. "Do you?"

"I guess not," Sarah agreed.

"But, you know what?" Chuck asked. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Before I met you, I never considered the sacrifices that lots of people were making for the greater good. You made me see that. Now I'm proud that I'm one of those people. And that's totally because of you. And sure, I'm not going to like seeing some other guy pawing you. I never do. And I bet that you're not going to like seeing some other woman on me even less. But there is still plenty of time to be a wife. The reason that we're doing this is worth it."

"I'm so proud of you too," Sarah said. "I signed up for this life. I've been trained to deal with it. You've been drafted."

"I signed up too," Chuck corrected with a toothy grin. "I signed up when I said I do. Don't you think? One thing you have to admit. Our marriage sure hasn't been boring."

Sarah nodded wordlessly.

"I know what the problem is here," Chuck said with an even bigger grin. "You haven't had your dose of most loved woman in the world yet today."

"I know," Sarah agreed. "I think that Angel got my dose today."

Chuck's smile instantly disappeared, replaced by a look of concern.

At least that finally got a bit of a smile. "I'm teasing you," Sarah said quickly as she saw Chuck's look. "That wasn't fair. I understand the deal with you and Angel. You've been amazing. I'm not jealous."

"You're not?" Chuck asked skeptically.

Sarah's smile widened. "Okay," she said. "Maybe a little. But I'm trying hard not to be. You're doing the right thing. I know that. I don't want you to change."

That got Chuck's grin back. "I can see what needs to happen here," he said as he scooped Sarah up and cradled her in his arms. "You need a double dose. This is the sort of thing that we need to nip in the bud. Luckily, I have a double dose here with me."

Finally Sarah was laughing. "Whatever you say, doctor," she said as she put her arms around his neck while he carried her into the bedroom.

"I'm all yours."

x-x-x-x-x


	16. The Undercover Hooker

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **The Undercover Hooker**

x-x-x-x-x

Casey and Carina were sitting in the living room waiting for Chuck, Sarah, and Angel to arrive. Carina's bag was packed and ready to go for her stay with Scott Wilson. Clearly, neither wanted to be the first to acknowledge the six hundred pound elephant in the room and start the awkward discussion. Finally Casey caved… sort of. "Are you all set?" he asked.

Carina nodded. It wasn't what he was really asking. But playing dumb was a finely honed skill, so she answered him anyway. "I think so," she replied.

"Nervous?" Casey asked.

Again, that wasn't what he was really asking. "I'm not really nervous," Carina said. "I have the usual pre game jitters. It will be different not wearing a wire. It's been a long time since I've been on this kind of assignment."

"I want you to be careful," Casey said.

That finally broke some of the tension and got Carina laughing. That was a hot button word. Spies were trained to never be careful and he knew it. "Come on, Casey," she said. "You know that I don't know how to be careful. Being careful gets you killed."

"I know," Casey said. "I just had to say it."

Carina realized that she needed to let him off the hook a little. "One thing I am nervous about," she said. "Is that this will be the longest we've been apart since Vegas. I'm really going to miss you."

"I know," Casey agreed softly. "Me too. Just for the record, I am jealous, you know?"

That stunned Carina. It was the very last thing she expected him to say. Maybe the only good thing about this assignment was that she wouldn't have to deal with any jealousy. That would make things messy. She'd have to talk to Sarah about how to even approach it. "You are?" she asked.

That got Casey laughing. "Not really," he teased. "It seemed like the thing to say."

That got them both laughing even harder. "Um, it really wasn't," Carina said. "If Sarah had been here, we'd never hear the end of it."

Just then, right on cue, Sarah walked in the door. She watched them laughing for a moment before plopping down on the couch. "Hi guys," she said. "Hope I'm interrupting something. That seems like justice to me. Are we ready for today?"

Carina took full measure of Sarah's teasing. "It looks like someone is in a better mood," she said.

So now, Sarah was grinning. "I had a very good night," she replied with her eyes sparkling. "Chuck called it a double dose, whatever that means."

Carina had spent years bragging incessantly to Sarah about the erotic details of her various sexual exploits. She was clearly out for a little payback. "So," Carina sighed. "How many times?"

Well, that ended Casey's good mood. He clearly wasn't up to listening to any erotic details of the newlywed's various sexual exploits. It was hard to fault him for that. "Give me a break," he growled as he got up and walked into the kitchen. "I just had lunch. Unless you want to see it, I'd suggest we change the subject."

Sarah shrugged he shoulders. "No problem," she said. She just held up three fingers behind Casey's back.

Casey shook his head in disgust. "I saw that," he said. "I can see your reflection in the window. Damn, what is he anyway, a machine?"

Sarah pretended to consider the question. Chuck plainly recognized she was down and made it his mission to… um… cheer her up. It had been quite the night… maybe not their hottest… but most definitely in the top three. "Let's just say that he was highly motivated," she replied with a grin. "I was mentally getting ready for my role as a hooker. Chuck suddenly discovered that he is reasonably rich. We had a wild night and I earned some serious cash. It was a win-win."

"Whatever," Casey muttered as he stomped outside.

Carina took a closer look. With the painted on red dress and unusually heavy makeup, she sure looked the part. "So," she said. "Did Chuck get you mentally ready for your role as a hooker?"

That ended Sarah's good mood. "Not even a little bit," she sighed. "I've never dreaded an assignment more than this one. Chuck doesn't need to see any more of this crap. If anyone tries to pull a Wilson on me, I'm going to hand him his severed arm."

Carina looked at her friend. "It's a role," she said as soothingly as she could. "Chuck gets that. Do you want me to talk to him?"

That got something of Sarah's smile back. "Chuck's not the problem," she said. "Chuck's been perfect. I just don't want to do this crap anymore."

"Maybe you shouldn't go," Carina suggested gently. "If you blow our cover, we've got big problems. All of this will have been for nothing."

Sarah shook her head. "I won't blow our cover," she said. "Up to the line I've always drawn, I know what I have to do. I just… hate this. I'm married. Carina, he's honestly the nicest guy in the world. He shouldn't have to see his wife acting like a hooker… no matter how good the cause. Something has to change."

With that Chuck and Angel walked in the room with Casey in tow.

"Thank God," Casey said. "Now that encounter group is over, can we please get to work?"

Chuck sat next to Sarah on the love seat and Angel sat on the couch next to Carina.

Casey wasted little time. "Okay," he said. "This is the plan. Carina will go in first and meet up with Wilson in his room. Walker will follow a few minutes later just before dinner. Chuck will go in just in time for the dinner. Chuck will be wearing a wire. Walker is going to try and plant a wire on Wilson and whoever she gets assigned to at dinner. Angel and I will be in the car monitoring the conversation. After dinner, we're guessing that Walker will be asked to leave. She will meet us in the car and we'll monitor Chuck and whoever Walker has been able to plant. Any questions?"

"Sarah and Carina aren't wearing a wire?" Chuck asked.

Carina saw the blush in her friend. "No," she said. "We figure it wouldn't help us anyway. There's no way I could keep it concealed for multiple days. And there's always the risk that they would discover it on Sarah… um somehow… and get tipped off. I'll be on my own until we meet up at the pool party."

If Chuck noticed the inference Carina had just made, he showed no sign. He shook his head. "I'd feel more comfortable if Sarah was wearing a wire," he said. "I have a bad feeling about these guys. If they find it, we can abort."

Sarah smiled at his protectiveness. It was cute. She had already anticipated it. The wire she already had sewed inside of her top would be impossible to find. The only thing would be if they scanned her for bugs. That would blow their cover. "Okay," she said. "The odds of them finding it are very low… even if the worst happens."

Chuck didn't ask what her definition of 'worst' was. "What happens if Sarah gets assigned to me?" he asked.

"We'll have to try and make sure that doesn't happen," Sarah said softly. "We need as many bugs planted as possible so we can figure out what's going on."

Chuck shook his head. "But what happens if they find the bugs?" he asked with his brow furrowed. "Won't that give us away?"

"We're using special units," Casey said as he held up one. "These look like a book of matches. The electronics will only last for about an hour. After that, if they sweep, they won't pick them up. We're hoping that they don't do a sweep within an hour. It's worth the risk. All Walker has to do is slip them in their pocket."

That got Chuck grinning. "And how is Sarah going to get her hand in their pockets?" he teased.

That got Casey grinning as well. "That's not even the right question, genius," he said with a smirk. "The right question is how long is her hand going to be in that pocket?"

Sarah wasn't really in the mood to be teased about this. "Very funny," she snapped. "Don't worry, Chuck. It will be fine. They won't even know that it happened."

Carina quickly changed the subject. "We're really interested in the meeting after dinner," she said. "We suspect that they are going to hit you up for a donation. We really want you to get invited to the party on Thursday."

"And, Angel," Chuck said softly with a smile. "You can't leave the car. We all are aware of your problem. If you need to take something, just do it in the car. Casey won't freak out… too much."

"You really should get off that crap," Casey said flatly. "It's going to kill you."

"She's working on it," Carina said. "Right, Angel? She's checking in to the rehab clinic next week."

Angel knew that Chuck would stick up for her. She hoped maybe Sarah would. But Carina sticking up for her was a nice surprise, especially given that she was the DEA Agent. Angel just smiled at her.

At least Sarah was in a better mood. "Well," she said. "I guess there's only one thing left to say."

"It's show time."

x-x-x-x-x

Scott Wilson was sitting in his hotel room when Jones poked his head in. "Excuse me, sir," he said. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Come in," Wilson said. "What's up?"

"A couple of things, sir," Jones said. "First we just got confirmation that Charles Carmichael will be attending today's meeting. He is CEO of The Carmichael Group. It is a holding company for a large variety of software products. He's a real big shot. We've been trying to get someone from a company this size to our meeting for a long time."

Wilson as he clapped his hands. "That is great news," he said. "We'll work on him. We'll invite him to the party on Thursday. Put on the full court press. Make sure that he gets his choice of the escorts. What was the other thing?"

Jones handed Wilson a picture. "Well, sir," he said. "We just got a call from the agency. They are sending us a new girl. Her name is Sarah Anderson."

Wilson studied the picture for a long moment. "Wow," he finally said. "Where are they finding all of these gorgeous women? She is stunning."

That got Jones grinning. "Yes, sir," he said. "But according to our man on the inside, her real name is Sarah Walker. She is a CIA agent."

"CIA?" Wilson asked in surprise. "I thought Carina was DEA."

"Yes, sir," Jones said. "Apparently they are sending us their cross functional A team. Walker is considered at the very top of the CIA duty roster… a real badass. She is an expert at hand to hand combat and small caliber weapons. She is deadly with knives and speaks many languages fluently. Currently she is on some top secret special assignment just like Agent Miller. She has been on several missions in the Middle East. She has single handedly destroyed much of our work, including the fact that she was key in the operation that killed your brother. She may have even been the one who pulled the trigger."

Wilson sat and processed the news. "Excellent!" he exclaimed through gritted teeth. "At last, I will have vengeance. Make sure she is at the party on Thursday. We'll deal with both of these agents at the same time. I want to take our time with this CIA bitch. I really want her to suffer. I want to listen to her beg us to kill her. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," Jones said. "I'll take care of it. She really is quite lovely. I hope you don't mind if I have a little fun with her."

"A little fun will be okay," Wilson replied.

"Just don't scare her off."

x-x-x-x-x

Carina knocked on Scott Wilson's hotel room door at exactly a half hour before the dinner was scheduled.

Wilson made no effort to keep the anticipation from his voice. "Carina," he said as he opened the door. "Please come in. I've been expecting you."

Carina leaned in to give Wilson a kiss on the cheek. She was surprised when he grabbed her and kissed her passionately. She had no choice but to respond in like kind. She could feel Wilson's hands wandering up and down her body. After a couple of minutes, the kiss finally broke.

Inwardly Carina was groaning. If he was feeling her up already, this promised to be a long few days. But she made sure to keep the smile on her face. "Wow," she said. "That was quite a greeting."

"I've really been looking forward to this," Wilson said.

And actually, that struck Carina as funny. No kidding, right? "I can tell," she said. "I've really been looking forward to it too."

"I think that talk is cheap," Wilson said with a grin. "Don't you? I'd prefer that you show me. Are you ready to get wild tonight?"

Carina nodded. "I'm ready for anything," she said. She most definitely didn't like the look she was getting… or the idea of what Scott Wilson would consider wild.

"We'll see."

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as Sarah entered the hotel lobby, Jones walked up to her. "Sarah Anderson?" he asked.

Sarah had known this man for a grand total of five seconds… and she already couldn't stand him. But the training kept the smile in place. "Yes," she replied.

"Hi," Jones said. "My name is Mark Jones. I'm Mr. Wilson's executive assistant. You will be assigned to me for today. Would you come with me please?"

Jones led Sarah to a private conference room just off the lobby. "Do you know what is expected of you today?" he asked.

Sarah didn't like his look one bit. "I was just told to be friendly," she said.

"Well," Jones said with a smirk as he stepped up to her. "Let's see how friendly you can be." He kissed her with an open mouth. "I mean, you are a pro, right?" he said between kisses. "You should be very friendly. A little second base action perhaps."

Kissing was always the worst part of any seduction mission. This was no different. You could fake most everything else, but kissing you simply had to participate. During the second round of kissing Sarah felt her zipper being lowered. Jones took a step back and made a huge show out of pulling the arms of her dress free. It quickly pooled to the floor. Before Sarah could even react, she was standing there in just her stockings, heels, and panties. "You're very beautiful," he said. "Why don't you show me how sexy you can be getting out of those panties? I'll bet that you're very good at it."

Sarah thought for a long moment about aborting. This wasn't at all what she expected from talking to Carina and Angel. It was quickly getting out of hand. She was going to be naked in the first five minutes? It was the 'worst' that she had talked to Chuck about earlier. And if it hadn't been for her promise to Carina, this might have gone differently. But at this point there wasn't much to lose. She was already mostly naked anyway. Her panties were far to shear to hide anything. But she wasn't going any farther than this. It was a drop dead line… literally. She certainly wasn't going to betray her husband. At least if he made another move, she'd get to kick this guy's ass. That might be a little fun. Taking her time seemed like the smart play. At least he wouldn't have any time left for further degradation. So she slowly slid her panties off and handed them to him.

In the car, Angel turned to Casey in amazement. "I'm assuming that we're not going to tell Chuck about this?" she asked with her mouth hanging open.

Casey was laughing. "On the contrary," he said. "I think that he needs to hear this tape. Over and over. Don't you?"

Finally, after another round of necking that rounded third base, Jones was done testing Sarah. "Pretty friendly," he mocked. "I trust that you will come to our pool party on Thursday. Of course, you'll be expected to hit your knees and be even friendlier. I don't usually pay for sex. But I'm going to listen to you beg."

Sarah was very careful to not show anything except the seductive smile, but she was very relieved. Yeah, his threat was disgusting and ominous. Yeah, she'd have to explain to Chuck what had just happened. Perhaps this wasn't the worst thing that had happened to her in her career with a mark… but it was pretty close… and certainly was by far the worst since they were married. At least she hadn't crossed their line… and they still had a chance at a successful mission. "I'm looking forward to it," she said.

Jones showed Sarah her panties. "I'll be keeping these as a souvenir," he gloated. "I'll give you a minute to put on your dress. Meet me in the restaurant in ten minutes."

Okay, so she was standing there basically naked after just being massively felt up. It was something she had promised herself would never happen again. But it wasn't a total loss. At least Sarah had planted her first bug. As soon as Jones left the room, she picked up her dress from the floor and whispered into her bug. "Casey, I swear. If Chuck ever hears this tape, I will make sure that you suffer. I hope that I'm clear."

"Um," Angel said. "I really don't think that she is kidding."

Casey turned to Angel and grinned. He was clearly enjoying having an audience for his teasing. "She's not kidding at all," he said.

"Maybe we should rethink this."

x-x-x-x-x


	17. Soft Clothes

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Soft Clothes**

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck pulled up to the hotel entrance in the Porsche. Wearing a suit and tie was an unusual feeling. Then again, his life had turned into a series of unusual feelings. As soon as the valet drove the car away, Jones approached him. "Mr. Carmichael?" he said as he extended his hand." "My name is Mark Jones. I'm Mr. Wilson's executive assistant."

"Please call me Charles," Chuck said as he shook Jones's hand.

"Great," Jones said as he led Chuck into the hotel. "I can't tell you how honored we are that you agreed to meet with us, Charles. If there is anything that we can do to make you more comfortable, please don't hesitate to let us know."

Chuck knew his role… rich businessman who was constantly hit up for donations. The least they could do was to treat him well. "Thanks," he said. "I most definitely will."

Jones led Chuck to a petite blonde woman standing in the lobby. She was attractive enough… if you weren't married to the most beautiful woman in the world. "Charles," he said. "I would like you to meet Heather. Heather will be making sure that you get anything you need to be comfortable. Anything you want, Heather will do her very best to make happen."

Inside the car, Angel burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Casey asked.

Angel was trying hard to stop laughing… and not really being successful. "I know Heather," she said. "I can't see Chuck with her. I would give anything to be able to see his face right now. She is too dumb to be able to screw in a light bulb."

Angel was finally able to stop laughing. She flashed her grin at Casey. "Of course that's the only thing she wouldn't screw," she continued. "She seems more like your type to me."

Of course, Casey knew that Angel had just taken a teasing shot at him. That couldn't be allowed to stand. If she was going to dish it out, she'd better learn to take it. But she said it so innocently that when he turned to look at her, he couldn't help but return her smile.

Back in the hotel, Jones turned to Heather. "I'll leave you two for a minute to get acquainted," he said gently. "Please meet us in the restaurant in ten minutes."

Heather surely knew her role. She was already brushing her more than ample chest against his. "So, Charles," she said. "What business are you in?"

It was an honest question. "We make software," Chuck replied.

Heather turned her face up to him. "Is that like clothes?" she asked. "They're pretty soft."

At first, Chuck couldn't decide if she was being serious. Sadly, he finally concluded that she was. He really didn't know what to say. "Exactly," he settled for as he shook his head at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Inside the car, Angel was again roaring with laughter. After a minute she turned to Casey.

"Is being a cop always this much fun?"

x-x-x-x-x

To Chuck it seemed like dinner took five hours. There were six couples at the table. There were Scott Wilson and Carina, Mark Jones and Sarah, Chuck and Heather and three other couples that he didn't know. Heather was constantly whispering unintelligible phases in his ear for the entire meal. The worst part was he couldn't decide if she was being sexy… or she couldn't complete a lucid sentence. Okay, so that wasn't the worst part. He had to watch Sarah.

You had to know her pretty well to get that was her fake sexy smile. By the uncomfortableness in her eyes, it was a safe bet this Mark Jones dude's hands were high up her leg. Carina seemed much more at ease with Scott Wilson, probably since she had already attended several of these dinners. Chuck was having a hard time eating while, at the same time, trying to keep Heather's hand from drifting up his own leg. It was hard to concentrate on the conversation at the table. Fortunately, it didn't deserve concentration.

At least the food was good. Carina had been right last week. This was a very upscale place. Chuck's filet melted in his mouth. One thing that Chuck had to admit, Heather wasn't shy. She made sure that he always had a perfect view all the way down her top. It was hard to look anywhere without seeing the ridiculous amount of cleavage she was flashing. And his wife was sitting right across the table watching it happen. Fortunately, she had her own problems.

Finally, mercifully, the meal was over. "Well, ladies," Wilson said. "Thank you for a wonderful meal. Gentleman, if you will follow Mr. Jones, we'll get started on the business portion of our event. I'll join you in a few minutes."

Chuck and the other four men followed Jones to a hospitality suite. There were several overstuffed chairs. A bartender in the corner was serving drinks. "Gentleman," he said. "Please have a drink. Mr. Wilson will be down in a couple of minutes and we'll begin."

x-x-x-x-x

After the dinner broke up, Scott Wilson led Carina back to his hotel room. As soon as they were in the room, he grabbed her and kissed her. Much like earlier, he let his hands roam freely. "Are you ready to get wild?" he asked.

Carina had come too far to back down now. "Whatever you want," she said.

Wilson grinned. "That's what I hoped you would say," he said. "I have to go to a meeting but I'll be back in about an hour. How about when I get back, you are ready for me?"

"Ready?" Carina asked. "I'm ready now."

Wilson shook his head. He picked up the handcuffs and blindfold that were on the table and handed them to her. "Ready, as in naked," he said. "Ready, as in helpless. Ready, as in my slave, eager to serve her new master."

As soon as Wilson left the room, he burst out laughing.

"This is so much fun."

x-x-x-x-x

About the same time that Wilson was leaving the room, Sarah got to the car where Casey and Angel were sitting. "What's going on?" she asked as soon as she got in the back seat.

"Well," Casey said. "I see that you were successful in bugging Jones. The meeting hasn't started yet. But I think that Wilson is going to put Carina through the ringer tonight."

Sarah paused to think for a moment. "What's going on here?" she finally asked, more to herself. "Jones did the same thing to me."

Angel shook her head sadly. "They think that you're hookers," she said. "That's how men treat hookers. I think you got off easy. I'm surprised that Jones didn't want a quickie right there on the conference room table. If you're going to pretend that you're a hooker, you need to be prepared to be treated like a piece of meat."

"Yeah," Sarah agreed thoughtfully. Angel was right. Undercover as a hooker was a tough assignment. You had no protection at all from anything the mark would ask for. "I get that. This was more than that though. You didn't see the look in his eye. He was intentionally pushing the limit. It's almost like he knew I was defenseless… like he was trying to prove something to me. Then all during dinner he had his hand all the way up my leg… right in front of Chuck. I'm most definitely going to kill that sonofabitch in some grotesquely painful way… soon."

"What do you think?" Casey asked. "Do you think that your cover is blown?"

Sarah considered the question. "I don't see how," she said. "But something is up. Maybe these guys are just that evil."

"Should we get Carina out of there?" Casey asked.

"How?" Sarah asked. "The only way to do that would be to barge in there and get her. That would end our mission and we still wouldn't know anything. At least she's in a public place. I think we'll just have to let it play out."

"What are you going to tell Chuck?" Angel asked softly.

Sarah looked at her carefully. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "Chuck understands about this stuff. But that was as bad as it gets. Angel, please don't tell him anything. I'll talk to him."

"I won't lie to him but I don't want to rub his face in it either."

x-x-x-x-x

One thing you had to admit about Scott Wilson… he could really run a meeting. "Gentleman," he said in a booming voice as he entered the room. "Thank you all for coming. I trust that you enjoyed dinner."

All of the men either nodded or said yes.

"First off," Wilson continued. "Let me tell you how much we appreciate your donations. You have allowed us to do some very good work. We also think that all of you hard working businessmen pay totally too many taxes. Our proposal would allow you to get a huge tax break and help charity at the same time. But, I'll not deny, it's in a grey area in terms of legality. If anyone wants to leave, there will be no hard feelings."

After a few moments no one made a move to leave.

"Excellent," Wilson said. "Here is our proposal. For every dollar that your company donates to our cause, we will return half back to you personally, in cash. The fact that we receive so many cash donations makes it possible for us to do this in an untraceable way."

Several heads in the room began to nod.

"Gentleman," Wilson said. "Just do the math. If your company donates ten thousand dollars, the company gets the total write off and you get five thousand dollars in untraceable cash. As you know, if you made that same five thousand in profit you would have to pay taxes. We're offering you a way to feel good about donating to charity and also increase your net cash flow. The more that you donate, the bigger your personal reward. It's a total win - win."

Wilson could tell by the smiles around the room that the idea had caught on.

"As an added bonus," Wilson said. "I would like to invite you to our estate on Thursday for a little party. All of the ladies that were here today, and quite a few more, will be there. Trust me, when I say that they will be making sure that you have a good time."

In the car, Angel turned to Casey. "This can't be legal," she said.

Casey was already laughing. "No way," he said. "This is a pure scam. No way are they going to give any cash back. If someone complains, they've admitted to committing a felony. And I've got twenty bucks that says that any sex at this party is taped. It would be great blackmail material."

"Did you ever see any cameras?" Sarah asked.

Angel considered the question. "No," she replied. "I never saw any cameras. But the rooms all did have a huge mirror."

"Bingo," Casey said. "With a camera behind it."

Back in the hotel, Wilson continued.

"Jones here will help you fill out the paperwork," Wilson said with a huge smile. "Thank you for the help. Our cause is just. I'll see you all on Thursday."

After Wilson was done speaking he walked up to Chuck. "Mr. Carmichael," he said as he led Chuck to a quite spot. "What did you think?"

Chuck was a little confused. First, you'd have to be an idiot not to recognize that this wasn't legal. Then again, greed was a great motivator. But ten thousand dollars? That wasn't much. Especially given the lavish way they were being treated. Escort hookers cost a pretty penny… and a lot of them. "The concept is very interesting," Chuck said with a smile. "I know I pay way too much in taxes. It's just…"

"Yes?" Wilson asked.

"Ten thousand dollars isn't that much," Chuck said cautiously. "Do you think you could handle a larger amount?"

Talk about a dumb question. Wilson's eyes lit up. "Of course," he said. "Ten thousand was just an example. What amount did you have in mind?"

Chuck knew that he had to sell this or risk suspicion. As a pure tax dodge, this still didn't make much sense. "I have four partners," he explained. "We really don't get along that well. In retrospect I made a bad deal. Now I'm stuck. So for every dollar in profit my company makes, I only get 1/5th of that. That doesn't seem fair to me. I'm thinking about ten million. My company gets a huge write-off and I get ½ instead of 1/5th." Chuck paused a moment for effect. "Could you handle that large of an amount?"

Chuck was right. Greed was a huge motivator. Wilson slapped him on the back. "Now you're talking, my friend," he said. "I trust I'll see you at the party. You were with Heather, if I remember. Was she satisfactory?"

Chuck knew his role. But in this small detail, he was telling the truth. "Not at all," he said. "She's dumb as a box of rocks. I'd rather stay home."

"Were there any of the ladies that you prefer?" Wilson asked. "I want to make sure that a man of your generosity is well taken care of."

It was good that Wilson had offered. So again he was able to tell the truth. "Yes," Chuck said. "I really had my eye on the tall blonde that was with Jones. I don't remember her name but, wow, what a body. I'll bet she could twist herself like a pretzel and smile while doing it." Of course, Chuck knew Sarah was listening. She would get his meaning. Casey was undoubtedly currently taking a teasing shot at her. And she was actually very good at the pretzel thing. It would be a good opportunity to tease her about it tonight.

Wilson hesitated. Agent Walker was soon going to be busy begging to die. But maybe she could also provide a valuable service before her messy demise. "Ah, yes," he said. "Her name is Sarah. I admire a man with taste. I had a feeling that you would like her. She is very hot, don't you think? I've heard that she can suck a golf ball through a garden hose. I actually had some plans for her myself but I am more than happy to postpone them for such a good friend to our cause."

Chuck started laughing. Why did all of the bad guys apparently know about the golf ball thing? It would be something to tease her about. He was actually probably right… when she was properly motivated. Chuck had never seen it literally happen. Maybe he'd find a garden hose and ask her for a test tonight. That might make her laugh. Hopefully this jerk was just guessing. Who didn't have some creepy plans for his wife? The sonofabitch would have to get in a very, very long, slow moving line. "Great," he said.

"I'll see you there."

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as Wilson left the room, he immediately went into another meeting. There were about twenty men gathered. Jones appeared to be in charge.

"Are we all set?" Wilson asked.

"Yes, sir," Jones said in a snappy voice. "Let me introduce you to the teams that are going to put us into the history books."

"Here is our team for Columbus," he said as he indicated two men.

"And here is L. A.," he said as he indicated two more men.

"And Ann Arbor," he continued down the line. "And Happy Valley, Miami, Gainesville, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, and South Bend."

In the car, Casey furrowed his brow. "What the hell?" he said. "With the exception of Miami and L.A. those are all small cities. Why would they attack there?"

Angel looked at him like he had spouted a third eye. "Those are all towns with huge universities," she said.

"Happy Valley?" asked Sarah skeptically. "I've never heard of it."

"That's where Penn State is," Angel replied. "It's one of the largest universities in the world. Don't you guys ever watch college football?"

Back in the hotel, Wilson addressed the group.

"Welcome, my brave brothers," he said in a booming voice. "On Thursday you will be treated to a day of merriment. Then you will be given the nerve gas and drive it to your target. On Saturday, we'll attack. Do we have a time planned for the attacks?"

"Yes, sir," said Jones. "With the exception of the Rose Bowl, all of the games either start at one or three eastern time. If we launch our crop duster planes at three, we should hit all of the games in either the first or third quarter. We'll launch the Rose Bowl planes at one Western time. That is one hour later. We're expecting a minimum of a ninety percent fatality rate.

"Excellent," Wilson shouted. "This will be a day that no one will ever forget. My brothers, I'm so proud of you. I'll see you on Thursday for our day of celebration."

In the car, Casey's face lost all of its color. "Holy Christ," he whispered. "How many people are at those games?"

"I don't know exactly," Angel said. "But those are all huge stadiums. I'm guessing counting the teams, bands, and other workers there would be over one hundred thousand people at each game."

Sarah quickly did the math. "Oh my God," she said. "They were talking about a ninety percent fatality rate. That means they are planning on killing close to a million people."

Angel nodded. "If it happens, it will be on live television," she said. "All of those games are always televised. They are going for an event that the entire world would never be able to forget."

Sarah quickly called Chuck on his cell. "Sweetie," she said. "You need to meet us at Casey's as soon as you can get there. We have a big problem."

Casey was already on his phone. "Casey, secure," he shouted.

"General, we have an emergency."

x-x-x-x-x


	18. Slumber Party

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Slumber Party**

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck was already waiting standing outside the car at Casey's when Casey and Angel pulled up. Sarah was right behind them. The car had barely stopped moving before Sarah jumped out. She raced to where Chuck was standing and threw her arms around him. "I'm so proud of you," she said as she continued to hold Chuck tightly. "You were brilliant today. Ten million dollars? Once they heard that, we could have marched in there in full dress uniform and they wouldn't have noticed."

Chuck had a huge grin. Getting spy craft praise from Sarah was one of his favorite things. "Thanks," he said. "Of course, now we have to come up with the ten million dollars."

Angel looked at Chuck and Sarah in their loving embrace and sadly turned away. Casey noticed the look in Angel's eyes right away. "Come on, Angel," he said gently as he grabbed her arm and led her into the house. "Let's give them a minute. I'll fix you a drink."

Chuck couldn't see Sarah's face. But he could tell from the way she was clinging to him that she was emotional. Hopefully, he could tease her and make it a joke. "So how did your dinner go with that Jones guy?" he asked. "I could see your hands most of the time but I couldn't see his. Was he busy?"

Sarah thought about how to answer. She didn't want to rub his face in what happened. She would have found a way later to tell him more gently. But he had just asked her a direct question. Their relationship was built on honesty. "He was busy," she said with a sigh. "But the real problem was before dinner."

"What happened before dinner?" Chuck asked.

"Chuck, I promise that I'll tell you every detail tonight," Sarah said softly. "But it was pretty bad. He made me strip naked and neck with him while he felt me up in every spot where you can get felt up. I was about ready to blow the cover and kick his ass but he ran out of time. Creepy bastard kept my panties as a souvenir. Then I had to smile while he groped me under the table all through dinner. I feel horrible. I'm married to the most wonderful man in the world and some other jerk had me naked. It's exactly what I promised would never happen again."

Chuck could see that she was on the edge of breaking down. This wasn't her fault. It came with the territory. So he made sure to keep the smile in his voice. "He kept your panties?" he asked. "Does that mean you're not wearing any now?"

Sarah ignored his question. "Don't worry, sweetie," she said with as much smile as she could muster. "He'll be dead soon. Tonight, I'll make you forget all about it, okay? I'm so sorry."

Chuck was grinning. "Well I should think so," he teased. "You gave him your panties? Those things are expensive. I wonder if the CIA will reimburse us. Where on the expense form would you put something like that? Do you think that the creepy sonofabitch has tried them on yet?"

And there it was… today's reminder. No matter how depressed or hurting or angry she was, he could always make her laugh. It came out pretty wet. Sarah had never been so relieved to be teased in her life. "I'm not sure," she said. "I have no idea what he would do with them. Frankly I don't want to know. I'm afraid that's not all. Graham and Beckman wanted to substitute Bryce for you. I had to talk them out of it. Who knows what they are thinking? I should have told you last night. We were just having… um… too good of a time. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," Chuck said. "Actually, I have something to tell you as well. Last night when I got home Bryce was waiting for me in the parking lot."

Well, that certainly got Sarah's attention. "What did he want?" she asked.

"It was the same old nonsense," Chuck said. "He said that he was worried about me… that I didn't know you. He said that you used sex to get our new base… that you were going undercover as a hooker… and everyone knows what that means."

Sarah was seeing nothing but red. "That sonofabitch," she muttered. "Chuck, I did not sleep with the king to get a new base. I'm telling the truth about that. I would never keep something like that from you."

Chuck continued to hold her tight. "Sarah, relax," he said. "You know that I don't think that you slept with the king. Why is this bothering you so much?"

Sarah paused for a long moment. "Because," she said. "It would be perfectly reasonable for you to suspect it. Bryce knows exactly what he's doing. He's planting seeds of doubts. You know that I like the King… that before I met you I probably would have slept with him… not to get a base… just for fun. The idea of trading sex for a base was certainly discussed. Graham pulled out all the stops. He even danced really close to directly threatening you. It would be perfectly natural for you to have doubts. Why don't you?"

That actually got Chuck laughing. "For one thing, because they don't know you at all," he said. "Ordering Agent Walker to use sex on an assignment? That's pretty stupid. It just guarantied it not happening. I sure hope that they never order you to have sex with me. But the main thing is that they don't understand what we have. They're not even equipped to understand it. I've stopped trying to understand it myself. I'm just going to enjoy it. You would never betray me… just like I would never betray you."

Sarah melted into him in relief. "That was a very, very good answer," she said. "Chuck, sweetie, we're so close. I never thought that I could feel this way. I appreciate that you understand. I do. Still, something has to change. We have to stop putting ourselves in these situations. Now I have a serious question. Chuck, I'm still your bodyguard. Why am I just hearing about last night with Bryce now?"

Chuck didn't back down. "For the same reason you didn't tell me," he said. "We were having a connection. He was long gone before I could have told you anyway. Did you want me to invite him in?"

Sarah took a soothing breath and calmed down a little. "You're right," she finally admitted. "Thank you. We're both looking out for each other. Maybe it's best if I just spend some time tonight making us forget it ever happened."

"That's a deal," Chuck said. "You're already off to a good start by missing the panties. But I'm warning you. It's really going to take some work to make me forget. I have a real good memory. It's my specialty, remember? You might have to miss all of your clothes. I'm thinking some pretzel twisting might even come into play."

That finally got Sarah laughing again. "Trust me," she said. "After I'm done tonight you're not going to remember your own name. I'm not sure what we're going to tell Washington. They'll just have to live without that Intersect thing."

The sudden feel of Sarah's classic high beams poking into his chest told him that she wasn't kidding. "Can't we go now?" Chuck asked hopefully. "I can see that the fuse has been lit."

Sarah shook her head sadly. "I wish," she said. "I'm looking forward to it more than you are. In fact if it was up to me, we'd go for it standing right here. I want to forget about today too. But we have to get in there. We have a crisis."

As soon as Sarah and Chuck walked into the house, Casey turned to them. "We're conferencing with Washington in eighteen minutes," he said, looking at his watch. "They are really freaked out."

Of course, Chuck didn't know their plan. "What's going on?" he asked.

"After you left, we listened to Jones on the bug that Walker planted," Casey said. "They are planning on attacking nine different college football games on Saturday with nerve gas."

"How would they do that?" Chuck asked.

Sarah sighed. "We're not sure," she admitted. "That's what we have to find out. They said something about crop duster planes."

"They talked about a ninety percent fatality rate," Casey said skeptically. "I don't know how they could figure that. It seems pretty unreasonable to me."

"I assume that they are using Sarin."

It was the last thing they expected to hear… from the last person they expected to hear it from. Everyone just looked at Angel.

Angel sipped her drink. "That is the easiest nerve gas to make and transport without killing yourself," she explained. "It is liquid at room temperature but is fairly easy to vaporize. That makes it perfect to use in a crop duster plane. My guess is that they will spray the Sarin on the top of the stadiums."

Chuck, Sarah, and Casey just looked at Angel in amazement. They were far too stunned to speak.

"Angel," Sarah finally said. "How do you know all of that?"

Angel smiled at their skepticism. "I wasn't born a hooker, you know?" she said. "I have a degree from UCLA."

"But how would that work?" Sarah asked. "A crop duster plane couldn't hit everyone in a big stadium. Could they?"

Angel shook her head. "Easily," she replied. "A single canister of liquid Sarin could produce enough vaper to cover twenty football stadiums. At the meeting, they introduced a series of two-man teams. That probably means they have two planes assigned to each stadium. Since Sarin is heavier than air and all of those stadiums are shaped like big bowls, the gas will naturally work its way from the top to the floor. I think that ninety percent might be conservative. Everyone in those stadiums will be trapped."

"Couldn't people just leave?" Sarah asked.

Angel's smile broadened. "You've really never been to one of those games, have you?" she asked. "You're packed in like sardines. That's how they get so many people in a small space. It takes over an hour to empty one of those stadiums after a game under normal circumstances. In a panic situation, practically nobody would get out. It would be a stampede. They would probably spray gas on the outside too… to cover the people tailgating. That would put them well over a million."

"So," Casey said. "What is Sarin? How does it work?"

Angel thought about the question for a moment. "Sarin is a nerve agent," she said slowly. "If you breathe almost any of it, you die. Not only that, it is a horrible way to go. The first phase is uncontrolled vomiting. After a while your body won't respond to your brain's commands and you struggle to breathe until you finally mercifully lose consciousness and die. All of those games are televised. Imagine the sight. If these attacks are successful, a million people will die horribly on live television. The country may never recover from the shock."

Chuck was just beginning to recover from the shock. "So," he said. "You're some kind of chemical engineer?"

Angel grinned at him. "Oh hell no," she said. "Chemistry is way too hard. My major is in Physics. I'm only eight hours away from my Master's."

Chuck asked the question they were all thinking. "So, why are you a hooker?" he asked.

"I'm so good at it," she teased. But looking at his face, she turned serious. "Come on, Chuck," she said sadly. "Physicists make good salaries but not enough to supply a coke habit."

"Okay folks," Casey interrupted. "We're about to go online. Angel, I'll introduce you. They may ask you to leave. Don't be offended."

Angel just smiled. "I'm actually hoping that they ask me to leave," she said.

Just then the monitor came to life and Beckman and Graham appeared. As usual, they were not in the same room and on split screens. "Okay, folks," Beckman said. "This is as serious as it gets. It goes without saying that we cannot allow these attacks to occur. Casey, who has joined us?"

"Ma'am,' Casey said. "This is Angel Lopez. She has been very helpful in getting us as far as we have."

"Miss Lopez," Beckman said. "We appreciate you cooperation. I hope that you understand how serious this situation is to national security. I'm simply not prepared to take any risks here. I'm afraid we'll have to take you into custody until this crises is over."

Angel wasn't expecting that. "What?" she cried. "I don't want to go to jail. Isn't there something else we can do?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Lopez," Beckman said. "But…"

"Excuse me, ma'am," Sarah interrupted. "Couldn't she stay in my and Casey's custody? She could spend the night with Chuck and me. She could join Casey in monitoring the party. She really has been quite helpful."

Beckman considered this for a moment. "Major," she said tersely. "What is your opinion?"

Casey didn't hesitate. "She really has been very valuable, ma'am," he said. "She knows the names of the players, understands the logistics, and really helps me understand what is going on."

"Very well," Beckman said with a sigh. "I don't want her out of sight of one of the three of you. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sarah said. "Thank you, ma'am."

"I don't understand," Chuck said. "Why don't we just have a hundred fighter jets patrol the airspace around those stadiums and shoot down anything they see?"

It was Casey who shook his head. "That wouldn't work," he said. "Those small, crop duster planes have a tremendous advantage in that urban environment. They can take off from a small field. They can fly under radar and pop up from anywhere. I'm afraid they are the perfect short range weapon. And even if we could shoot them down, that just releases a boatload of nerve gas in an urban area."

"We need Intel," Beckman said. "We'll have Agents Miller and Walker at that party. Bartowski will also be there. We need to find out where the nerve gas is. I'll have a thousand agents surrounding the property but it won't do us any good to move in until we've located it. That has to be your top priority. By any means necessary. Am I understood?

"Yes, ma'am," Casey and Sarah said together.

"Bartowski," Beckman said firmly. "I want to be clear. This is too vital. A million lives are at stake. I understand how you feel but this isn't the time. Agent Walker needs to use any means necessary. Am I understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Chuck said sadly. "I understand."

"Good," said Beckman. "Well, you have your orders. Good luck people. A million lives are depending on you. Dismissed."

As soon as the screen went blank, Angel stepped up to Chuck. "What was she saying to you about any means necessary?" she asked him softly.

"She was saying that Sarah might have to use sex," Chuck said sadly.

At last, Sarah was smiling. "It's most definitely going to happen," she said. "Tons and tons of hot, steamy sex. Wilson already promised me to you. It will be a first for me on a mission. But here's the honest truth. My new mark really gets my motor running. I'm afraid that sex is unavoidable."

Chuck matched her grin as he glanced at her chest. "I know," he said. "You're showing."

Sarah ignored his teasing. "Why don't we take Angel home and help her pack a bag?" she suggested.

Chuck nodded. "Okay," he said. "Maybe we can stop by and introduce her to Ellie."

Sarah was plainly in a better mood. She turned to Angel. "Angel," she said. "I wasn't kidding about sex being unavoidable. I'm afraid that starts immediately. We just have the couch for you tonight… unless, of course, we're really looking to cheer Chuck up."

That got them all laughing. "The couch will be fine," Angel said. "I suppose that it's up to Chuck on how much cheering up he needs.

Chuck shook his head at the sight of the ladies so overtly ganging up to tease him. He turned to Sarah. "Are you feeling a little better?" he asked sarcastically.

Sarah still wasn't completely ready to make this a joke. "I guess," she said. "I'm tired, sweetie. I just really hate this job sometimes. After this is over we really need to talk about our future."

"I know," Chuck said softly. He turned to Angel with a stern look. "I don't think we can be friends anymore."

The color left Angel's face. "Why?" she asked. "Have I done something?"

That got Chuck laughing again. "I went to Stanford," he teased. "I can't be friends with someone who went to UCLA. It isn't done."

Angel breathed a huge sigh of relief. "I get it," she said. "I know what they think at Stanford but not everyone from UCLA is a drug addict and a hooker. I'm actually an exception."

Chuck shook his head. "We don't think that," he protested. "We just think they're plain stupid."

"Speaking of stupid," Angel said with a grin. "How did you like Heather's definition of software? I have to admit, that was quite interesting. I heard that she went to Stanford."

"On an academic scholarship."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Angel followed Sarah back to their place in the Porsche. Then they all took Carina's car to Angel's to let her pack. Chuck waited in the car to make sure nobody stole it while Sarah went in to help Angel.

"Don't worry about packing too much stuff," Sarah said. "It's only going to be one night."

"Thanks for keeping me out of jail," Angel said with a smile. "Being in jail is an occupational hazard in my profession. It's never pleasant."

"No problem," Sarah said. "It's the least I could do. It wasn't going to really be jail… not like your other experiences. More like a detention facility. It's basically a hotel with a guard."

"Thank you anyway," Angel said as she gave Sarah a hug. "I don't know what a detention facility looks like and I sure as hell don't want to find out."

Sarah and Angel held their embrace for a long moment without speaking. Finally Angel spoke. "I'm so sorry," she said softly.

Sarah was sorta expecting something like this. It would be good to get it on the table. "For what?" she asked.

"For being jealous," Angel said. "I'm trying so hard to not like you. But I do. I can't help it."

Sarah smiled. Normally another woman so plainly being in love with Chuck would have initiated a three state killing spree. But if there was one thing that she got, it was the feeling of being in love with somebody without any way of doing anything about it. There was no other way of saying it… it sucked. "I understand this more than you think," she said. "I really do. There was a time, not too long ago, where I didn't like you. When you were naked dancing on Chuck's lap at the club, I'm pretty sure that I could have thrown a knife in your eye. But now I do like you. Don't get me wrong. I'm not sharing Chuck… not like that anyway. But I do appreciate what you mean to him. Right now, I guess that it's enough that we tolerate each other. I'm hoping that someday we can truly be friends."

"Me too," Angel sighed. "You don't have anything to worry about. Someone like Chuck could never be interested in someone like me."

Sarah looked at her sadly. She wished that it was true. But she knew that it wasn't. "Let me tell you a story," she said. "You know that I'm a CIA Agent. When I first met Chuck, I was assigned to be his bodyguard. I'm not going to tell you why he needs a bodyguard, but he still does. To explain why I was always with him, I assumed the role of his girlfriend. Our relationship was a cover for an entire year. I was the hard core spy… a killing machine. Trust me on something. My past makes anything you've done look like Mother Theresa. I thought love was for suckers. Nobody could love me. I didn't even love me."

Angel looked at her. "What happened?" she asked.

That got a sad smile. "Chuck is what happened," she said. "He saw through my past… and loved me. He loved me when I was shouting at him that he was only a job to me. He made me part of his family, became the true friend I never had. He loved me when he was sure that he was never going to get anything out of it… when I was being a bitch to him. I had to be next to this guy loving me every waking moment for a year. It was torture. I couldn't resist. His love became… irresistible. So I finally had no choice. Not very long ago, I surrendered. Now I believe in love… and it is wonderful. I'm here to tell you that I understand exactly how you feel."

Angel returned her smile. "You don't know how lucky you are," she said.

Sarah shook her head. "You're wrong about that," she said insistently. "Of course I know exactly how lucky I am. I'm very grateful. Your Chuck is out there someplace. We're going to find him. Speaking of lucky, Chuck is going to be tonight… multiple times. I have to cheer him up after the Mark Jones thing. So I would pack your headphones if I was you."

Angel grinned. "I know," she said. "I heard. The thing with the golf ball and garden hose can be pretty noisy."

At least that got Sarah grinning as well. "I'm not going to do that," she said. "It's overdone… a little cliché, don't you think?"

"I'm going to suck start a leaf blower."

x-x-x-x-x

Angel was sitting on Chuck and Sarah's couch getting ready for bed. She was listening to her mellow play list. Since her eyes were only half open she was surprised when Chuck opened the bedroom door and came into the room. He closed the bedroom door softly behind him and sat next to her on the couch.

"Where's Sarah?" Angel asked with a smile as she took off her headphones.

"She's sleeping," Chuck said softly. "I just came to check on you."

"I'm fine," Angel said. "The couch is very comfortable. Thanks."

"Okay," Chuck said. "Then goodnight."

Angel was a little surprised when Chuck kissed her goodnight. But she didn't think too much of it. They had kissed before. That's when it happened. When he pulled back from the kiss she could see the longing in his eyes. There could be no mistaking what he was asking her. It made her knees weak. She felt like she could get lost forever in those brown eyes.

Then Chuck leaned in and kissed her again. This time it was different. It was both the gentlest and hottest thing she had ever felt in her life. Being a hooker for so long had changed Angel's attitude towards sex. It was now work to her… most times disgusting work. Not today. She was as aroused as she had ever been in her life. Suddenly she felt Chuck's hand reach behind her head and pull her into a more urgent kiss. It was the most intense pleasure she had ever experienced. As Chuck opened his mouth and his tongue entered her lips, she really had no choice but to respond.

Chuck looked at her as the kiss broke. "I can't help it," he said. "I love you."

Now the gentleness was replaced by a wild passion. Their tongues danced as they kissed again and again. Chuck's eyes asked the question as he lifted the hem of her shirt. Angel simply nodded and lifted her arms to allow Chuck to pull it over her head. As he returned to the passionate kisses she could feel Chuck remove her pajama bottoms. She lifted her hips to allow him to take them off without breaking the kiss.

Chuck's hands were frantically roaming freely over Angel's body. The sensations were paralyzing. Angel could do nothing but sit there and continue kissing him. Then Chuck pushed her onto her back on the couch. Angel was in heaven as Chuck's bare chest lay against hers. She kissed him with every fiber, trying to tell him how much she loved him using her lips and mouth. Chuck broke the kiss and moved to Angel's neck, alternating between kissing and gently biting.

"I love you, Chuck," Angel moaned as she lay helpless, her body unable to do anything except lay there and accept Chuck's passion. As Chuck moved down Angel's body, kissing as he went, Angel felt tremors of passion consume her.

"I love you, Chuck," she whispered as he reached her stomach. Angel needed him now. "Please," she whispered. "Don't leave me like this. I love you, Chuck."

Suddenly Angel awakened to find herself sitting on the couch. Her headphones must have fallen off when she fell asleep. As the tears streamed down her face, she could hear Chuck and Sarah through the bedroom door.

"It never fails to amaze me," Sarah said. "Every time I think this can't possibly get any better, and yet it always does. I love you, Chuck."

"Very nice pretzel imitation," Chuck said. "I love you too, Sarah… and I always, always, always will."

Angel just sat there and allowed the tears to roll down her face as she admitted the truth she had tried so hard to hide from herself.

"I'm in love with Chuck Bartowski… and I don't know what to do about it."

x-x-x-x-x


	19. Expendable

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Expendable**

x-x-x-x-x

Bryce looked around the reception area. He knew that he was quickly running out of options in his quest. This was a card that he didn't want to play too often. But it was huge. Being the only CIA Agent able to contact Orion meant that they would want to make him happy. On the other hand, Graham had a special relationship with her. It was a poorly kept secret that she had been his wild card enforcer and had done some unsavory things for him that weren't official… or particularly legal. Whenever Bryce tried to get her to talk about it, she would change the subject. Even suggesting that she might have once had a sexual relationship with him was one of several sure fire ways to start a fight.

Bryce often wondered to himself why he even wanted her back. He certainly didn't lack for female companionship. She was mostly more trouble than she was worth. Sure, she was gorgeous… but she was lousy in bed. Well, after that first shot of adrenalin wore off that sometimes made her a tiger, she was lousy anyway. Round two was unheard of. She wouldn't even think of playing any of his bedroom games… laughed at him for even suggesting it. That was a shame. She would have been so good at them.

She was currently pretending to be more than a little pissed at him. Okay, so maybe she wasn't totally pretending. But Bryce knew. The lady doth protest too much. Sarah Walker and Chuck Bartowski as a couple? Come on. They were like eggs rolled in sand. What could they even talk about? She was plainly using Chuck to punish him. He would have to work on her slowly. The good news was that their best sex was always when she was pissed at him. That was something to look forward to.

Director Graham was busy reading the morning's Middle East briefing when the receptionist showed Bryce into the office. "Agent Larkin," Graham sighed. "Don't tell me. Let me guess."

Bryce ignored the annoyance in his voice. "Yes, sir," he said. "I'm afraid that I need another shot."

Graham shook his head in disgust. "I just had her in the same bed with you," he said. "I had to use a ton of personal capital to talk her into it. It looks like you struck out… again. Have you considered the possibility that she's moved on? What more do you want from me?"

Bryce grinned. "She's really pissed," he admitted. "It's going to take more time than I thought to break her down."

Graham considered that for a moment. "She called me some names that I won't soon forget," he admitted. "If it was anybody but Walker we'd currently have one less agent. What makes you think that she slept with him?"

Bryce was still grinning. "Please, sir," he said. "Sarah Walker is a hypocrite. Her chastity is a ruse. She hides behind it. Just think. She tells you to go to hell for even suggesting it, and then she spends one night with the king after he gets rid of me… suddenly, like magic, we have a new base? How else do you think that happened? You must have just heard the surveillance of her naked with that mark. She agreed to go undercover as a hooker? Tell me that she didn't know exactly what was going to happen. She was all over it. He was ten seconds away from bending her over that table and giving her the high hard one. It might still happen."

Graham considered it for a moment. "Okay," he said. "Assuming that you're right, what exactly is it that you want from me? I can't order her to have sex with you. I know her pretty well. She wouldn't do it if I did."

Bryce nodded. He was right about that. It would be exactly the wrong thing to do. But he did still have some cards left to play. "Sarah has a hot button, sir," he said. "She'll never admit it, but the girl simply loves to be rescued." It was true. Sarah was famously uptight about sex. But she never failed to richly reward him for saving her life. That was really the only time she would loosen up and be sexy for him. She still wouldn't play his wilder games but at least she wouldn't laugh at the idea. And when Sarah wanted to be sexy… it was like your birthday, Christmas morning, and the Fourth of July all rolled into one. "I need to find a way to rescue her."

Just then the phone rang on Graham's desk. He had told his receptionist more than once how he hated being interrupted when he was busy. "What is it?" he answered briskly.

"General Beckman is on line one, sir," she replied in a business like tone.

Graham winced. Talking to that bitch wasn't ever high on his list of good times. Maybe make her wait a few minutes. "Tell her I'll call her back," he growled.

"She says it's urgent, sir."

"Fine," Graham said with a disgusted sigh as he punched the button on the phone. "General," he said, making no effort to keep the sarcasm from his voice. "What an unexpected pleasure."

Beckman also saw to need to pretend to be pleasant. "Trust me," she said caustically. "This is not the highlight of my day either. But we have a situation. We just got a call from the DoD. It seems that they just arrested a mole in their personnel department. In the process of their investigation, when they checked the records, several of the calls that he made was to the hotel where the intersect team was undercover yesterday with the Scott Wilson terrorist group."

That got Graham's interest. "So," he replied. "Do you think that their cover is blown?"

"They are interrogating him now," Beckman said. "So far, he's not talking but I think it would be a safe assumption."

"What about the Intersect?" Graham asked.

Beckman was surprised he would ask that. There were only a handful of people in the world who knew who the human Intersect was… certainly not this low level HR person. "I would assume that they wouldn't know about Bartowski," she replied. "Why would they?"

Graham was forced to agree. "That's true," he said. "He's not on the payroll, is he? The mole would have no record of him. That's good."

"What should we do?" Beckman said. "We have to tell our people."

Graham considered the question. Maybe here was an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Sarah Walker had been one of his favorite agents… maybe his very favorite… a couple of months ago. But that was before her tirade of a few days ago. He wouldn't forget being screamed at like that for a long, long time. Maybe she needed to be taught a lesson about power… and respect. What happened to a female agent once their cover was blown was fairly predictable. Maybe being rescued by Agent Larkin after spending a few unpleasant hours being passed around would solve his problem… and remind her to get back to showing him the proper respect. "I don't think that's a good idea," he said thoughtfully. "We only have one shot at these guys. If they find out that we know our cover is blown, they may shut down. Then we'll lose touch. Right now, they think they have an advantage. They know that we're tracking them and with who. I'm guessing that they'll try and press that advantage. Maybe they'll make a mistake."

"Arthur," Beckman said firmly. "Our agents deserve to know the situation that they are walking into. How can we expect them to deal with the situation if they don't know the facts?"

"General Beckman," Graham said tersely. "Agent Walker can't tip them off if she doesn't know anything. Surprise is our friend in this case. We're talking about a million lives here. One agent is expendable."

Beckman was pissed. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had heard all of the gossip about Walker and Graham. "I totally disagree," she said hotly. "What about the Intersect? What's going to happen to him emotionally if something happens to Agent Walker?"

Graham's grin turned evil. "And that's exactly why we should have never let this relationship happen in the first place," he shot back. "Need I remind you, I was against this from the start? Perhaps it's better to get this over with sooner rather than later when he really gets attached to her."

"Need I remind you," Beckman said angrily. "That you are a heartless son of a bitch."

"Be that as it may," Graham said firmly. "Walker is a CIA agent. Miller is on loan to the CIA. They are my responsibility. This is my call, not yours."

"Fine," Beckman said through gritted teeth as she slammed down the phone.

Graham finally found a reason to smile. Getting under Beckman's skin was one of his favorite things. He turned to Bryce. "Okay," he said. "Here's your chance. We'll get you invited to the party. Go rescue her. Earn your reward. Make sure that nothing permanent happens to her but if she were to spend a few uncomfortable hours… well, that will make her even more grateful. It goes without saying that stopping the attacks is your top priority here… even over getting laid."

Bryce was grinning. "Yes, sir," he said. This was perfect. Imagine the look on her face when she saw him at that party. Then later… she'd be so grateful to get out of being passed around that she would be putty in his hands. He might have to wait a few days before she'd be physically able to participate… maybe they'd have to find a way to hide their rendezvous from Chuck for a while… but he'd be able to play this for months. And even if that was all fantasy… and it probably was… at least he would get some revenge for the way she had treated him… hopefully in front of Chuck. "Thank you."

Graham stood up, signifying that this meeting was over. "Good luck," he said. "She's quite the trophy."

"This is the last time I'm going to set her up for you."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Sarah were cuddled together in bed. They must each have gotten some sleep between sessions but it certainly wasn't much.

"I have a confession to make," Sarah said. She was plainly keeping her voice low so that Angel wouldn't hear. After all, the walls in their apartment weren't all that soundproof.

Chuck looked at her trying hard to blink away her tears. He knew that he had to let her off the hook. "I know," he said. "Sarah, don't worry about it. If it happens, you'll have no choice. Beckman was right."

So now Sarah was confused. "What was Beckman right about?" she asked.

Now Sarah wasn't the only one who was confused. "A million lives are at stake," he said. "You're undercover as a hooker. Blowing your cover really isn't an option today."

Sarah shook her head. He was being sweet. He was taking the spear for her. But, the reality was, it didn't help. In fact, it made her feel worse. What husband should have to talk openly about his wife having sex with another man on an assignment? "That's not the confession," she said. "Don't worry about any sex today. I'll make sure that they won't have time. And I can get out of it anyway. If worse comes to worse, I'll just make myself throw up on him. It's a sure fire way to ruin the mood."

Chuck knew that he couldn't laugh. She was emotional. But the idea of her throwing up on a naked terrorist had him biting his lip. "Okay," he said. "So what is it?"

Sarah finally lifted her head to look at him. "This is hard for me," she said. "I'm embarrassed that I haven't told you this yet. If you laugh…"

So now Chuck knew for sure that he couldn't laugh. He just nodded.

"I think that I know why Bryce is hanging around," Sarah said sadly. "I know what he is thinking… why he still thinks he has a shot. We're going to have to deal with it before he causes problems."

Chuck didn't say anything for a long moment. "Does he?" he finally asked.

"Of course not," Sarah protested indignantly. "Are you seriously questioning that? I thought we were past this."

Chuck was pretty confused. "We are past that," he protested. "I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm just trying to figure out what you're trying to tell me. Maybe, instead of making me guess, you could just say it for once."

Chuck knew that they were on the verge of a huge fight. So he was surprised when Sarah sighed. "I've always had this fantasy," she finally said. "It began from my first day at the academy, long before I really became a spy. Some nameless, faceless James Bond type would rescue me from a helpless situation."

Sarah paused for a long moment to gauge his reaction. "I love to be rescued," she finally said. "It was a massive turn-on for me. My payment was that I would make myself his for the night. I'd turn off being uptight for the night and pay my debt."

Chuck couldn't keep the smile away. "You said 'was,'" he pointed out. "So I'm to assume that Bryce collected his prize?"

Sarah nodded. "A few times," she said. "I always… um… richly rewarded him whenever he would rescue me. He is looking for a chance at that reward."

Chuck just looked at her for a long moment. "So can I laugh now," he said.

Sarah ignored the question. "This is serious," she protested. "I've never told you this because I don't want you to try and do it. You don't need it. Our average lovemaking leaves anything Bryce ever got standing in the dust. I'm afraid that he's going to try and find a way to rescue me. You know Bryce. Some of our reward sessions were pretty… um… wild. I'm not trying to rub your face in that. I get that you're not jealous of Bryce anymore. I appreciate that. But he's always going to be hanging around, looking for his chance. It's another one of the million things that make me a horrible wife. No husband should have to deal with his wife's over-sexed-ex constantly overtly scheming to get her in bed. We have to figure out a way to convince him to go away."

Chuck grinned. "How wild?" he asked. "I'm thinking reenactment."

That finally got a smile. "I don't want you to try and rescue me," Sarah finally said.

"Maybe we can figure something else out."

x-x-x-x-x

Carina was in the hotel room putting on her bikini. Scott Wilson was watching her with an obvious leer. "Well," she said with a wry smile. "You're actually going to let me wear some clothes?"

Wilson started laughing. "Don't get too used to it," he said. "I like you naked. You are sure to be the hit of the party."

Yeah. No kidding, right? "Thanks," Carina said with as much grin as she could muster.

"There will be a very important man there today," Wilson said. "I want you to pay special attention to him. His name is Charles Carmichael and we want to give him whatever he wants."

"Sure," Carina replied softly. "I remember him. He was with Heather, right?"

"That's right." Wilson said. "But he has his eye on that Sarah. I'm thinking that you and she may want to have a little fight over him. Or maybe even join forces. A blonde and a redhead… it's sort of like surf and turf. He's giving us a ton of money and he is expecting a good time. I want him leaving that party very happy. Am I being clear?"

That was unexpected… but it was very good news. "Of course," Carina said. "Don't worry. I've never worked with her before, but I'm sure that when we're done with him, he won't be able to get the smile off his face for a month."

"Great," said Wilson. "But on second thought, I may want to keep you all to myself."

Carina inwardly groaned. "I've been naked here with you for the past twenty hours," she said. "You mean you have something left?"

Wilson was laughing. This was so much fun. He pulled her onto his lap and untied the bikini top that Carina had just put on. "You shouldn't challenge me," he said.

"Let's try something different."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck pulled the Porsche up to the address that he was given. Casey had already supplied him with a wire… and a two hour lecture about being careful. He also had two guns. One was strapped to each leg. Hopefully he would be able to slip them to Sarah and Carina if need be. As soon as he approached the gate, it opened. A valet was waiting to take the Porsche. As soon as he drove away, Scott Wilson approached Chuck. "Charles," he said with a warm smile as he extended his hand. "Welcome to our little party. I hope you brought your suit."

Chuck held up the gym bag he was holding. "Thanks," he said as he shook Wilson's hand.

Chuck took a moment to look around. Angel was right; the scene was directly out of lifestyles of the rich and famous. The estate was dominated by a huge, at least Olympic sized pool. Various sizes and shapes of pool furniture surrounded it. Like Chuck, the men were still in the process of arriving. Sarah and the bus full of promised wild woman wasn't here yet so there were only a few women… but naturally they were very popular. Still Chuck could see what must have been about thirty men either swimming or relaxing around the pool. They all had a drink in one hand and the lucky ones had a woman's breast in the other. A couple of the men, he recognized from the dinner but most he had never seen before.

In one corner of the property a full bar was set up with a tender serving drinks. Next to the bar was an awning with a buffet. Chuck could see the outline of a server carving a roasted prime rib. On the opposite side of the bar was another awning where a DJ was playing music. A huge privacy fence shielded by tall shrubbery gave the impression that the property was totally isolated from the rest of the world. A garden terrace led to a huge mansion. Chuck guessed that it must have, at least thirty rooms. Terrorists perhaps had a short life expectancy… but they sure lived well.

"I just want to make sure that you understand how grateful we are for your generosity." Wilson said. "Anything that you want today, don't hesitate to ask."

"Okay," said Chuck with a grin. "I'm ready to party. Let's get the business over with. I've asked my executive assistant to process your check. You should have it tomorrow."

Wilson's eyes flashed. "For the same amount that we talked about?" he asked expectantly.

That got Chuck laughing. "Of course," he replied. "But enough about business. I don't see this Sarah chick. Where is she anyway? I don't mind admitting, she's all I have been thinking about. It will well be worth ten million. If I have the time today that I'm hoping to, I might be able to be talked out of another ten million. I assume that would be okay with you?"

"The ladies should be joining us shortly," Wilson said with his eyes beaming. "Sarah has a brief prior commitment for a few minutes. Don't worry. I'll bring her right over and she'll be yours for the rest of the day. Until then, perhaps Carina here can keep you company."

Carina had intentionally tied her bikini so that it didn't hide much. After all, she didn't expect to wear it long anyway. Since meeting Carina, Chuck had seen her naked several times. It was always uncomfortable. He usually tried hard not to stare. That wouldn't fly in this situation. He looked at her from head to toe and back again much like a starving man would look at a T-bone steak. His smile gave away his approval. "An appetizer," he said approvingly.

Wilson motioned with his eyes toward Carina and indicated that she should join him. Carina picked up on his meaning right away. She stepped up to Chuck and sided into him. "Charles," she said in a soft sexy voice. "I'm not an appetizer. I'm more like a pre-game meal. Let's take a walk and I'll prove it to you. Would you like something to drink?"

As they walked towards the bar that was set up on the opposite side of the pool, Carina kept her head on Chuck shoulder. As soon as they were out of earshot, she spoke softly into Chuck's chest. "I sure hope you know more than I do," she said in disgust. "This has been a total fucking waste of time. And I mean that quite literally."

Chuck was freaked out at the news about Sarah. What could this prior commitment mean? With her cover as a hooker, that didn't sound good. But he couldn't help but smile at Carina's tone. "We do," he said. "They are planning on attacking a bunch of college football games with crop duster planes and nerve gas tomorrow. If they are successful, they'll kill a million people. Our job is to find out the location of the nerve gas. As soon as we find it we are going to rush this place with a thousand agents. Our orders are to find the nerve gas using any means necessary. What is Sarah's prior commitment?"

That was good news. At least they now had a known objective. Even better, saving a million lives maybe made the, what seemed like a month, of being Scott Wilson's sex toy worth it. "I have no idea," Carina said. "The girl is popular. Don't worry about Sarah. She can handle herself. Do you have my gun?"

"Yes," replied Chuck. "It's strapped to my leg."

After the bartender had served them their drinks, Carina led Chuck away by the hand to some beach chairs. She indicated that Chuck should sit on a lounge chair. When he did, Carina sat on his lap and put her arms around his neck.

Carina's smile was stunning… but her tone was all business. "As soon as Sarah gets here," she said. "Ask Wilson for both of us. He's already expecting that. We'll go inside and see if we can do a little recon. You know the drill. Stay close. At the first sign of any trouble, hit the deck."

"Okay," Chuck said with a sigh. "But he is going to think I'm a pervert."

"From the way he saw you checking me out; I think he already has the general idea," Carina replied. "Besides that, he admires perverts. If I didn't know better, I'd say that Sarah has something to worry about. You almost had me blushing. And what do I feel poking into my ass? It doesn't feel like my gun."

"I had to sell it," Chuck replied with a grin. "Sarah taught me how to think of something sexy in these situations. With that bikini, it really wasn't that hard. Now I just have to keep it up."

That got Carina laughing. "Trust me. He's dying to make you happy," she said. "Now it's time to really sell it. Kiss me and put your hand inside my top."

Talk about something that Chuck didn't want to do. "Is that really necessary?" he asked sadly.

"It is absolutely necessary," Carina replied. "We have to sell that you want us both. I'll give you a choice. You can either do it now. Or you can wait until Sarah gets here to watch."

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as Sarah pulled into the hotel parking lot she could see the bus waiting. Inside were about two dozen ladies with more walking up. When she walked up to the bus, Mark Jones was waiting for her. "Sarah," he said with a knowing leer. "I'm glad you're here. I trust you brought your bathing suit?" It didn't really matter. The bathing suits didn't last long at these things anyway.

Sarah would have loved to kick that smirk off his face. So she didn't answer. Instead she smiled and pulled up her shirt to show Jones her bikini top.

"Great,' Jones said. He led Sarah onto the bus and sat beside her. "We have a bit of a situation. It seems that one of the gentlemen today has taken a fancy to you. He is incredibly important to us. We want to make sure that he is very well taken care of. Do you understand?"

That was a relief. Jones was sitting a little too close for comfort. The last thing Sarah wanted was a repeat of yesterday's groping in front of a busload of people… or even worse, Chuck. "Of course," she replied with a smile. "That's always nice to hear. What is his name?"

"His name is Charles Carmichael," Jones said. "He has to leave that party today happy. That has to be your top priority. If he asks you to bark like a dog, that's what you'll do. Am I understood?"

Making the good Mr. Carmichael very happy was a dream assignment. If this went well, it was something she would be able to parlay into sexy reenactments at home for weeks to come. "Arf," Sarah barked with a grin. "He'll never forget today as long as he lives."

"Excellent," Jones said. "But first, I promised to introduce you to another man for a few minutes. You should be flattered. It seems that you're very popular."

Sarah was trained to keep the surprise from her face. But she didn't like the sound of that at all. "What's his name?" she asked.

Jones had to look at his list. "I don't remember. Oh, here it is," he said.

"His name is Bryce Larkin."

x-x-x-x-x


	20. Pool Party

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. It's the fourth and final installment in the Real Relationship arc._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Pool Party**

x-x-x-x-x

As the bus pulled through the gate, it had the full attention of every man at the party. When the ladies started to file out, all in their bikinis, a roar went up. At that point, Carina got up off Chuck's lap. "Well, Charles," she said with a smile. "The entertainment has arrived. Fill Sarah in on the plan. I'll talk to you again in a few minutes."

After taking a couple of steps she suddenly turned around and walked back up to Chuck. "Oh, by the way," she said softly as she leaned into Chuck's chest. "I really missed you last night, Casey."

Jones took Sarah by the hand and led her to where Bryce was sitting. "Mr. Larkin," he said. "You wanted to meet Sarah. Let me introduce you to her. This is Sarah Anderson. You thought that maybe you've seen her before?"

Bryce smiled as he extended his hand. "Hello, Sarah," he said. "I was mistaken. Certainly I would remember meeting someone so stunning. Maybe it was in my dreams."

Sarah's spy senses were on full alert. Why was Bryce here? What did he want? Of course, the flirting was for Jones' benefit. He knew her well enough to know how she'd react to that and that she was mentally shoving her index finger down her throat. She had no choice except to smile and take his hand. Jones was watching every move. "Aren't you sweet?" she asked.

Bryce turned his grin to Jones. "How long do I have her for?" he asked.

"Five minutes, I'm afraid," Jones said. "Sarah has another commitment. Maybe we can find an opportunity later for you to spend some time with her."

Bryce dismissed Jones with a nod. "We'd better make every second count," he said. He pulled Sarah onto his lap. "Shouldn't we, Sarah?"

Sarah knew that she couldn't allow the smile to leave her face. That would blow her cover… and Chuck was here. She could see him on the other side of the pool sitting with Carina. Being here meant he was in danger. "Bryce," she said. "What in the fuck are you doing here?"

Bryce's grin never wavered. "Graham sent me," he said. "It looks like you're going to need help. Really, Sarah? Undercover as a hooker? Why couldn't you ever do that when we were together? I'd have gladly paid your price."

Sarah could feel his hand inching up her side. "Cut the crap, Bryce," she said. "This is a serious assignment. A million lives are at stake. Are you wearing a wire?"

Bryce shook his head. "It's a very serious assignment," he agreed. "Don't worry. I'm fully briefed. You look out of place. Most of the hookers here aren't wearing a top. Let me help you."

Unfortunately, he was right. Every place you looked there were discarded bikini parts lying on the ground. Sarah could only watch in horror as Bryce pulled at the string behind her back. "Bryce," she said. "Please don't do this. Not in front of him."

Bryce shook his head and reached for the string around her neck. "You shouldn't have said those awful things to me," he said. "Besides, shouldn't Chuck get a firsthand look at what you do for a living? How long do you think you can hide what you really are from him? Director Graham wanted me to tell you how grateful he is for the new base. Maybe later… after this mission is over, you can take me someplace and not screw me like you didn't screw the king. Chuck bought that, didn't he?"

There was a time in Sarah's life when that would have been devastating. That's clearly what Bryce was going for. But there was a key fact that Bryce didn't understand… couldn't understand. Chuck already knew most every detail about her past… and loved her anyway. So, sure, Bryce was currently holding her top in one hand and her bare breast in the other. She had no choice but to smile at him and make no move to pull away. Her husband was watching it happen. It was something she'd have to talk to him about. But suddenly this struck her as mostly funny. Bryce Larkin was ridiculous. "Actually," she said. "He already knows. He loves me anyway. It's the best thing in my life. And for the record… one last time… I did not sleep with the king. But the truth is, he got closer than you're ever going to."

After a couple of minutes of groping, Jones was finally coming to fetch her. "So, Agent Larkin," Sarah said sweetly. "Thank you for helping with my cover. One word of advice that I suggest you take very seriously. I get that you think you can rescue me and I'll reward you with hot sex like I used too. That's pure fantasy. The very thought turns my stomach a little. Get in my way on this assignment and you're a dead man. Put Chuck in danger and your last few hours of life are going to be as hellish as my training can make them. If you think I'm being figurative or bluffing in any way, you're dumber than you look. And when it happens, I'll go home and sleep like a baby… after my sexy husband makes me forget my own name, that is."

Sarah snatched her top out of Bryce's hand when Jones approached but she made no effort to put it back on. She smiled at Bryce. "It was nice to meet you," she said. "Maybe we'll meet again."

Bryce knew Sarah well enough to know that was a warning. But he wasn't about to back down. "You can count on it," he said.

Jones led Sarah directly to where Chuck was sitting. "Mr. Carmichael," he said. "I would like you to meet Sarah Anderson. Sarah was just telling me how much she admires software development. Sarah, Mr. Carmichael owns a software company."

"Really," Sarah asked with her patented smile. "Mr. Carmichael, that's so exciting."

"I'll leave you two to get better acquainted," Jones said as he began to walk away.

Chuck was torn. Why was Bryce here? Why was Sarah standing there holding her top in her hand? But he also was having a hard time keeping in the laugh. Software development wasn't Sarah's thing. In fact, it was a huge yawn that was a sure fire way to put his wife to sleep. "Please," he said. "Call me Charles. So, you like software."

Sarah had that certain twinkle in her eyes. Yes, Bryce was being a dick. Some explanation was certainly required. They would have to talk through what Bryce being here meant. Sarah wasn't sure herself. But Chuck's smile was warm and relaxed. He wasn't upset. That meant everything to her. And his eyes were glued to her chest. That was hopeful. She could feel her arousal tell popping out as she stood there. "Absolutely, Charles," she said as she plopped down on his lap.

"I love soft clothes."

x-x-x-x-x

Casey and Angel were sitting in the car a few blocks away from the mansion. Angel was visibly agitated. She kept folding and unfolding her arms nervously. After the third very loud sigh, Casey turned to her. "Damn, Angel," he said. "What is the matter with you?"

Angel looked at him like he had grown a third eye. "How can you stay so calm?" she asked excitedly. "This is dangerous. What if something happens?"

That got Casey laughing. "Relax," he said. "It's going to be fine. It always is. Now settle down before I tape your hands together and put you in the trunk."

Angel let out a huge sigh. "I'll try," she said.

After Casey took a few seconds to study Angel he let out a sigh of his own. "It's not going to happen, you know?" he asked softly.

"What do you mean?" Angel asked. "What's not going to happen?"

"You and Bartowski," Casey responded. "I know that you think that you're in love with him. But he's most definitely taken."

Angel knew that any denial would be pointless. "Is it that obvious?" she asked sadly.

Casey smiled at her. "You're kidding, right?" he said. "Yes, Angel, it is that obvious. Here is a little friendly advice. I've never known of anyone who loves someone as much as she loves him. It borders on obsessive. It's actually kind of creepy. I've known Walker for a long time. She might not be the worst person in the world to make your enemy, but she's in the top five."

Angel continued to look aimlessly out the window. "Does she hate me?" she asked quietly.

Casey paused to consider the question. Actually he was surprised at how well Walker was dealing with this. "No," he replied. "I think that she gets this… and is even willing to cut you some slack up to a point. But I would be very careful to not push her too far. You'll never know what hit you."

"Okay, thanks," Angel sighed as she rested her forehead against the car window. Just then the bus with the ladies for the party passed.

"Can I ask you a question?" Casey said. Without waiting for a response, he continued. "I don't get it. What is it about Bartowski that makes all of these fantastic women that are totally out of his league fall for him? He's annoying as hell. He's not rich. He might not be butt ugly, but he certainly isn't hot. You've known him for a total of two weeks and you look at him like you're ready to bear his children. What is it?"

Angel had to process his words for a moment to realize that her new big brother had just paid her a huge compliment. It was the last thing she expected. "Why would you say that I'm out of his league?" she asked. "I'm not out of anybody's league. I'm a cocaine addict. I've been a hooker for the past three years."

Casey shook his head firmly. "Come on, kid," he said. "Stop saying things like that. That's not who you are. That's just the circumstance you find yourself in. You're going to fix that, right?"

At first Angel wondered if he was hitting on her. But, no, he was just being nice… a friend. It was a new and pretty wonderful experience. "I hope so," she said. "I'm not sure I can explain about Chuck."

"Is it because he's the first man in years to not treat you like a piece of meat?" Casey asked softly.

Now it was Angel's turn to consider the question. "Maybe," she admitted. "That might be part of it. I really can't explain it. There's just something about him." Angel turned back to the window and finished her thought only to herself as tears filled her eyes and started to drift down her cheeks.

"I am ready to bear his children."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah knew that she would have to quickly deal with the five hundred pound gorilla in the room. Indeed, she wasn't even situated comfortably on his lap yet.

"Why is Bryce here? Is he trying to rescue you?"

Sarah looked into his eyes very carefully for any sign of jealousy. How could she possibly fault him if she saw any? This was her ex… his nemesis. Chuck was well aware that his 'friend' had just tried very hard to betray him. He had just watched this guy take off her top and grope her in public. "I have no idea," she sighed. "He said that Graham sent him to support us. Casey, maybe you can call Beckman and find out. Sweetie, he is a petty man. He hates to lose. He was getting even. He's not happy about some of the things I said to him."

Chuck was smirking. "I imagine holding a knife to his nuts and offering to add them to my Christmas present didn't make him any happier," he teased. "I should thank him for taking off your top. That's something I would struggle with in public."

Sarah could only stare at him grinning. "You're not jealous?" she asked. "Sweetie, it's okay. No husband should have to watch something like that… especially given your history. I'm sorry."

Chuck pulled her close. "You might be underestimating me a little," he said. "Bryce Larkin may be the only man in the world that I'm not jealous of. If he's looking to get you back, the moron is heading in exactly the wrong direction. It's almost comical."

Sarah had to blink pretty quickly to keep the tears away at how well he knew her. "You're right," she said. "On both counts. He is heading in the wrong direction. I'm sorry but I'm not really in a position to see the humor. But more important, I am underestimating you. I do that far too often. I have to find a way to stop."

So now there could be no mistaking the sparkle in Chuck's eyes. "This is something of a unique situation we find ourselves in," he teased. "Usually in this situation you'd have to scold me to protect our cover. Now I find myself wanting to put on a show for Agent Larkin. Is that wrong?"

Sarah was probably never happier to be teased. The laugh came out pretty wet. "It's so not wrong," she said. "Not even a little bit. And even if someone thinks it's wrong, who cares?"

Chuck was still grinning. "Maybe tonight we can play some of the games that he was always asking for," he said. "That would be some good revenge. What was his favorite?"

Now Sarah found the opportunity to throw his teasing back in his face… so she returned his grin. "Actually," she said. "You turned down his most common request last night with Angel. You have to admit… we offered. I guess his second most common request was for me to pick up a stranger in a bar and screw him into submission while he watched from his hiding place. Ooh, he always wanted to tie me up until I was naked and helpless… and then… well forced to submit to whatever with whomever he could think of until he got tired. Maybe we could do that."

Chuck's grin was long gone. "Please stop," he said softly. "That pig. I had no idea."

Sarah looked at her husband trying to blink the tears away. It was today's reminder, as if she needed any, of how lucky she was. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just teasing you. He never got any of those things. You have nothing to feel bad about. He's ridiculous. You're nothing like him. You would never ask for those things. But here is the irony. I can't imagine you honestly asking me for something like that and not getting it. Maybe we should get back to our cover of hooker and horny mark. Is it okay if I drive for a while? I'm the hooker here. I want to make sure the sonofabitch gets the full message."

Normally, Sarah would have used this opportunity to have a good time at Chuck's expense, knowing full well his strong aversion to any sort of public displays of affection. This was different. He was into it from the first instant. That was a massive turn on. So her main problem was to not get so carried away that she lost concentration. After all, this was still a very dangerous situation. But even that was mostly out the window.

Sarah sat on his lap and gave him the full treatment. She put her arms around his neck as she kissed him repeatedly… soft short kisses that never quite landed on his lips. It was mesmerizing for them both. Normally Sarah would have intentionally rubbed her chest against his as her kisses worked their way up and down his neck. That was another thing out the window. His hand was already there. Finally, when the tension became too much, she pushed her lips against his and kissed him passionately. Naturally, their tongues danced for a long while. Putting on a show for Bryce's torment was no longer her primary objective… but if he was watching, he was getting an amazing one. Finally, they had to come up for air. "Wow," she whispered as she broke the kiss. "I guess you're over being shy, huh?"

"We have to sell it, right?" Chuck said. "You know that you have to take me in the house now, don't you?"

Here was the bad part of him getting so into this. She could feel his arousal sitting there… just as he could feel her poking into his chest. "I'm sorry, sweetie," Sarah said. "I'd like nothing better. But this is a serious assignment. You know we can't really do anything until it's over. That was just for show. We need to get in the house so I can look around."

Chuck's pained expression normally would have struck Sarah was funny. "What?" he asked. "I thought we'd have time once we were inside. That was simply evil. You're going to pay for that. Why would you do that to me?"

"I'm so sorry," Sarah said. "I got a little carried away. I'll pay full price tonight to make it up to you. Besides if we did do anything here it would probably end up on the internet. Who needs that?"

Chuck failed to see the humor. "One good thing," he grumbled under his breath. "No one would be looking at me, that's for sure. Don't you want to be famous? Look at what it did for Paris Hilton."

This was a serious situation. Still Sarah was never happy when Chuck was annoyed with her. She tried to keep it light. "Who says that I'm not already famous?" she teased.

No sale. Chuck shook his head. "Trust me," he said. "If there was any footage of you on the internet, Jeff would have shown it to me before you left the Buy More the first time you were there."

Sarah was forced to agree. "That's true." she sighed.

"I almost forgot," Chuck said. "I have to find Scott Wilson. Carina said that I should ask for both of you."

Sarah just smiled.

"At the same time," Chuck said as he arched his eyebrows suggestively.

Sarah couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Together," Chuck teased.

Sarah was still laughing as got off Chuck's lap and pulled him to his feet. "I get it," she said. "You just won't let that fantasy go, will you? You do realize that Angel is listening to us on comm. You're going to make her feel bad. Besides… didn't we just cover this?"

"Be careful what you ask for."

x-x-x-x-x


End file.
